


Blizzard's Turmoil

by belasgrl



Category: A Year Without a Santa Claus (1974), Rankin-Bass Holiday Specials
Genre: Christmas, Drama, F/M, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:02:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 24,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23756563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/belasgrl/pseuds/belasgrl
Summary: Sequel to Like an Avalanche. Nina is adjusting to her new life at the North Pole and trying to help Snow Miser through some tough issues. Is their relationship strong enough to get through it all, especially when one of them is reacquainted with a long-lost family member?
Relationships: Snow Miser/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

There was nothing but clear, blue skies while Nina flew her airplane back to the North Pole. She had just finished making her first delivery for Santa and Mrs. Claus's new charity and was returning home. She couldn't wait to see Snow Miser, but she had to meet with Santa, first. 

As she approached the North Pole, Nina was caught in a blizzard. She became worried that this was connected to Snow Miser's emotions. He must have missed her a lot. She had only been gone for a week, but it wasn't anything new; she had traveled before. Making a change of plans, she headed over to Snow Miser's castle, first, managing to keep control of the aircraft.

After she landed in the front yard, Snow Miser ran to Nina before she even exited her emerald green plane. When she got out of the cockpit, he greeted her with a passionate kiss. "Welcome home, angel!" 

Nina smiled, gently, at her boyfriend, after kissing him back with just as much passion. "Hello, my love. I missed you." 

"I missed you, more."

"I can see that." Her voice was soft. "I had a bit of trouble getting back." 

"Oh, that?" Snow laughed. "I just wanted to spice things up around here." 

"Darling-" 

Snow cut her off. "Sorry about that. The North Pole needed a good blizzard. It's been too quiet around here, lately. So, tell me how your trip went." 

Nina looked at him, skeptically, then told him, "I'd like to wait and tell Santa and Mrs. Claus about it, if you don't mind. Can we go together so I can tell the three of you at the same time?" 

"Absolutely, sugarplum." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "I'd love to see Mr. and Mrs. C." 

"One second," Nina told Snow, getting back into the cockpit. She grabbed a folder and came back out. 

"What's that?" Snow asked. 

"Inventory papers and records. I've got to give these to Santa." 

"Okay, angel. You all ready to go?" When Nina nodded, Snow teleported them both to Santa and Mrs. Claus's house. 

Nina knocked on the front door when they arrived. Mrs. Claus answered and smiled, brightly, at them. "Nina! And Snow Miser! How good it is to see you both! Come in! Come in!" 

When they entered the house, the elderly woman told them, "Make yourselves at home. I'll go get Santa." She left the room and came back with Santa. 

"So, how did it go?" Santa asked Nina after the four had greeted each other and sat down. Mrs. Claus went to the kitchen to bring in some refreshments. 

"It was great," Nina replied, handing him the folder. As he looked over the papers, she said, "Everything should be in order. All the packages were given out."

Santa nodded, thoughtfully. "We hope it will help those people out, at least a little bit." 

"It felt great to do some good. Now I kinda understand why you deliver Christmas gifts every year."

Mrs. Claus reentered the room with a tray of cookies and hot chocolate and set them down. As the four began eating, Nina asked, "When do you want me to make the next delivery?" 

Snow Miser put his arm around her. "Hey, what's the rush? You just got back." 

Santa stated, eating a chocolate chip cookie, "We have others making deliveries, so you can wait as long as you need to." 

"How about another two weeks?" Nina asked the three. 

Santa and Mrs. Claus nodded, while Snow responded, frowning slightly, "Two weeks? That doesn't give us a lot of time." 

Nina noticed the agitation in Snow's voice. She held his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Okay. How about three, then?"

This seemed to relax him a bit, and he nodded, agreeing.

"Three weeks, it is," Santa smiled. "I'll let you know closer to time some places you can choose from, then we can go from there." 

Nina accepted the offer, then the subject was changed. The four of them chit-chatted, pleasantly. 

Nina always enjoyed visiting with Santa and Mrs. Claus; they were a second family to her. They were so kind and hospitable, and they had done so much for her that she didn't think she could ever properly show them her gratitude. It was even better when Snow Miser was with her because he livened up everyone's mood, even if they were already in a good one. 

Today, however, he wasn't as chatty as usual and mostly listened to the other three talk. He sat extremely close to Nina, keeping his arm around her almost the whole time. Ordinarily, she would enjoy the closeness, but something wasn't right. However, she didn't want to bring it up in front of their hosts and just sat, trying to focus on the conversations.

When Mrs. Claus got up to get more cookies and drinks, Nina offered to help her carry the drinks in. After the two women entered the kitchen, Nina asked her, quietly, "Has there been any bad weather here lately?" 

"Oh, goodness, yes," the elderly woman replied, setting more cookies on the plate. "There were blizzards almost every day for a week. I'm glad we're starting to have some good weather, now. Why do you ask?" 

"I was just curious," Nina replied, pouring the hot chocolate into the cups. "There was a blizzard when I came back, so I wondered if it's been like this the whole time I was gone." 

"Nearly," said Mrs. Claus. "I'm glad you made it back, safely." 

"I am, too," Nina said, then went back to the big room. Mrs. Claus followed with another tray of cookies. 

Santa was talking to Snow Miser in a hushed tone. Nina heard something about a gift for Valentine's Day but decided not to bring it up in case he was planning a surprise for his wife. 

Nina had almost forgotten about Valentine's Day. This would be the first one she'd have with Snow Miser, and she decided that she'd have to do something special for him, though she couldn't figure out what at the moment. What could she get Snow Miser for a gift that would be special enough for him and show him how much she cared about him? Was he even planning to do anything for her? She guessed she'd have to discuss it with him some other time when they were alone. 

Snow Miser and Nina stayed for another hour talking and eating with the couple. When it started to get dark, they said their goodbyes to Santa and Mrs. Claus and went home.


	2. Chapter 2

When they returned to the castle, Nina saw that Snow Miser had redecorated the interior while she had been away. A couch and coffee table made of ice were near the throne and Nina's chair, and paintings hung up on the walls, making the castle feel more homely. Curtains made of snow draped over the windows, just like in the room she had previously slept in. Now, she slept in Snow Miser's room, though she wasn't sure how long he had had a bed or if he even needed to sleep much. 

As soon as they were inside, Snow Miser kissed Nina, deeply. "I'm so happy you're home." 

"Me, too. Snow-" 

"There's something I want to ask you," Snow said, cutting her off. 

"Okay, go for it, but there's something I need to talk to you about." 

"How would you feel about getting married?" 

Nina was so stunned by Snow Miser's question that she momentarily forgot what was on her mind. "I...I don't know. I'm not ruling it out, but-" 

"We could have a small wedding before you go again. It would be great! We'd have all our friends and family there." 

Nina pulled away. "Snow Miser, that would be less than a month away. We'd need more time to plan." She put a hand on his cheek. "I'm not opposed to the idea of marrying you; I just need to think about it. There's still some stuff in my head that I need to sort out. Why do you want to get married so soon, anyway?" 

Snow turned away from her. "It would just be nice to be your husband, is all," he replied, anxiously. 

She stood by him, now able to bring up what was bothering her. "I'm worried about you. You've been...different ever since we came home from the hospital." 

"Different?" 

"Yes. You've been nervous and quieter and more clingy." 

Snow didn't make eye contact and brushed her statements off. "It's nothing." 

"It's not nothing. There were blizzards here almost the whole time I was gone." Nina pleaded with him. "Please, tell me what's wrong. I'm scared if we don't address this, you're going to keep feeling worse, and something really bad will happen." 

Snow Miser sighed. "I didn't want to tell you so I wouldn't worry you." 

"I'm worried now." 

Snow sat down on the couch. Nina sat beside him and held his hand, waiting for him to talk. He was quiet for awhile, then spoke. "I'm terrified of losing you," he said, slowly. "I mean, you've almost died several times. I'm scared that every time you leave, you won't come back. I have nightmares about pulling you out of your plane and watching you in the hospital when you had to get that surgery." 

Nina looked sad. "Oh, honey..." She hugged him and felt icy tears drop on her shoulder. "You've been traumatized. It's no wonder you've been like this." 

"But you actually went through that stuff, and most of it was my fault," he sniffled. "Sometimes, I wonder if you'd be safer and better off without having me in your life." 

Hearing his words caused a heavy weight to drop in Nina's chest. She couldn't imagine not having Snow Miser in her life. She gently pulled away, wiped his eyes, and kissed his lips, hoping that the love she was giving him would heal him at least a little bit. "I love you. I don't want to live without you; you're one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Even though I was the one who went through that stuff, you lived through it, too. You had to see me in those states, and you became traumatized from it. I don't blame you for acting the way you have. I promise to help you through this. No matter where I go, I'll always come back to you." She kissed his cheek and hugged him. 

Snow sighed in relief, as if her words eased his mind. "I know you will; you're pretty tough. I just can't help feeling scared that you won't." 

"Is that why you want to get married?" 

"That's only part of it. I thought if we tied the knot, that would give us more security, like you'd somehow be safer. That's not the only reason I want to, though. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you." 

"I love you, too. It's not a bad idea. Like I said, I just need more time. We can keep discussing it." 

Snow nodded, laying down on his back. Nina laid on top of him, and he put his arms around her. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable by the sudden marriage proposal," he told her. 

"You didn't make me uncomfortable; I just wasn't expecting it. I'm glad you told me what you're going through. We can work through it together now," she replied. 

"I feel kinda silly and weak," he chuckled, sadly. 

"You're not," Nina reassured him. "It's a normal response to trauma. I bet I'd feel the same way if I lived through what you did. I'll do the best I can for you; you've done so much for me. It's only fair I return the favor." 

Nina's words and physical closeness seemed to relax Snow Miser. This was the calmest she had seen him in awhile. Changing the subject, she asked, "What would you want our wedding to be like, if we did get married?" 

"Personally? I'd want lots of flowers and music and candles. I want to stand at the end of the aisle, watching you walk towards me, and our families and friends would be there, watching us tie the knot...I've dreamed about it a lot," he confessed, stroking her hair. Talking about this cheered him up.

"That would be lovely." Nina sighed. "I'd be lying if I said I've never thought about it, too."

"What's the matter, my little icicle?" 

"I wish my dad could be there. I wish he could have met you. I think he would have liked you, after getting over the initial shock of meeting a snow god." 

Snow Miser chuckled at her last statement, then gave her a comforting squeeze. "I'm sure he'd be very proud of you, Nina. It sounds like he loved you a lot." 

"He did. I miss him every day." 

"I'll bet. Hey, I've got an idea. We could do a small memorial of him at our wedding, if we do get married. Something in his honor." 

Nina smiled, warmly. "I like that idea. It would be like he was there, in a way. You're so thoughtful. Thank you." 

"Don't mention it. Anything that's important to you is important to me." 

"Snowy?" 

"Mhm?" 

"You've never said anything about your dad. Who is he?" 

At this, Snow Miser frowned. "Nobody worth mentioning," he replied, coldly, though his frigidity was not directed at her.

"You don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but did he do something bad? Like, is he evil?" 

"He's...just not someone I want in my life. He never really wanted to be in mine, so I stopped getting my hopes up. Besides, I've got you and Mother and my siblings and Santa and Mrs. Claus. You're all the only family I need." 

Nina smiled, then looked guilty. "This isn't fair." 

"What isn't?" 

"Your family knows about me, but mine doesn't know about you." 

"You haven't seen them for a month. You haven't really had much of a chance to tell them." 

"It's not just that." She bit her lip. "I'm not ashamed of you. Please, don't think I am. I just don't know how I would tell them about you. Would they believe me?"

Snow's eyes softened. "Oh, angel, don't worry about it. I don't think you're ashamed of me; I know why you're concerned. We'll figure it all out sometime, and when we do, I'll be right there with you." 

Nina rested her head on Snow Miser's chest. She thought about the possibility of getting married, but she had to put that in the back of her mind for now. It was too soon, and her mother and stepfather didn't even know he existed. Besides, her partner's mental health had to be addressed before anything else. Nina was still worried about Snow Miser and knew they had a long road ahead of them until he was at least somewhat back to his old self, but she was willing to do whatever it took to help him.


	3. Chapter 3

One day, Nina flew over to Heat Miser's castle and knocked on the door. She was let in and was surprised when Heat greeted her with a hug. "Hey, Nina. Long time, no see." 

Nina hugged him, then sat down. "It's good to see you." 

"Likewise. I heard you went on a little expedition," her host said, seating himself on his throne. 

"I don't know if I would call it that. I just delivered some packages for a charity." 

"Either way, tell me all about it. I've been bored stiff around here." 

Nina told him everything she could about her last trip. When she finished, she grew serious and folded her hands in her lap. "Heat...I want to talk to you about something." 

Noticing her change in tone, Heat Miser asked, "What is it?" 

"It's about Snow Miser. I'm really worried about him." 

Usually, if someone brought up his half-brother, Heat Miser would crack a joke or make a playful comment about him, but Nina's expression and words told him that now was not an appropriate time to do so. Instead, he simply asked, "Why?"

"He's been traumatized by all the crashes I was in after I came to the North Pole. He's more clingy, and I have to assure him I'll be back before I go anywhere. He's also not as cheerful as he used to be." Nina looked at the floor, her brows furrowed in concern. "I don't know how to help him. I thought since you've known him longer, you would have some idea how I could support him better." 

Heat Miser sat back in his throne, contemplating her words. "I guess it's not surprising he's acting like this," he spoke at last. "I imagine he blames himself for all of it?" 

Nina nodded. 

He scoffed. "Of course, he does. He still loves taking all the credit...Nina, I'm sorry." His voice suddenly softened. 

She looked up at him. 

"It's partially my fault that you got in that crash. For all we know, I could've been the one that hit your plane. Either way, me fighting with him didn't help matters." 

"I'm not upset about it anymore; I forgave you both a long time ago. I appreciate the apology, though. What I'm worried about is Snow Miser and how me almost dying has affected him. How can I help him?" 

"I'm no psychiatrist, but he probably needs one," Heat answered. "As for what you yourself can do, I'd say just be there for him and be patient with him. And take care of yourself, too. No one can pour from an empty cup, or whatever they say."

"I'm thinking about canceling all my future flights until he feels better." 

Heat raised an eyebrow. "You sure you want to do that?" 

"If it will ease his mind, I will. I had to keep telling him that I'd be back from your place; I can only imagine how agitated he is when I leave for days at a time." 

"Why don't you let me talk to him? I don't know how much good it would do, but I can try." 

"I'd like that. Don't tell him I told you about what he's going through, though. He might get upset," Nina said, worried. 

"I doubt he would; he's too much in love with you to get upset with you that easily. Anyway, I won't tell him." 

Nina got up and hugged him. "Thank you so much."

"Don't mention it." He patted her back, comfortingly, sighing.

A few nights later, after Nina fell asleep, Snow Miser went outside to the backyard. He cautiously approached Nina's airplane, keeping his distance from it. The longer he was near it, the angrier and more agitated he became. 

At that moment, Heat Miser appeared near him. "Boo." 

Snow Miser jumped. "Geez! Don't do that!" 

Heat chuckled, and Snow crossed his arms. "What are you doing here this late, anyway?" 

"I could ask you the same thing," stated Heat. 

"Don't turn this around on me. This is my property, anyway." 

"That's not your plane." 

Snow Miser frowned, clutching his fist. He was silent for awhile, and his brother watched him, waiting. 

Snow finally spoke. His voice was low and filled with venom, and he narrowed his eyes at the aircraft. "It would be so easy for me to destroy this thing. It's the cause of all the trouble we've had. It almost stole the love of my life from me." He held up his hand, forming a ball of ice. 

"You know what would happen if you did that. She'd never forgive you." 

"SHE'D BE SAFE!" Snow Miser yelled. 

The night air was cold and still except for a tiny breeze that blew across the nearly empty plain. The two men stood, seemingly as frozen as the castle. Snow Miser suspended his hand up, ready to hit the object his anger was directed towards, while Heat Miser kept his eyes on him. 

Finally, Snow Miser lowered his hand, and the ball of ice disappeared. He sank to his knees, his eyes wide with disbelief at his own actions. Heat Miser sat by his brother and put his hand on his shoulder, quietly. 

Snow struggled to speak. "What am I doing? I almost destroyed something really important to Nina." He momentarily looked up at the plane, his shame preventing him from keeping his eyes on it. 

"Don't beat yourself up. You're already in bad enough shape." 

Snow looked down at his hands as if they didn't belong to him. "I...I am, aren't I? I'm so scared of losing her that I can't think about anything else. Why is she even with me? I'm just becoming a nuisance to her." 

"She doesn't seem to think so. If she didn't want to be with you, she would've left you by now. You must be doing something right."

Snow laughed, sadly. "I don't know what it could be...Can you believe I asked her to marry me in less than a month? How can we even plan our dream wedding in a matter of weeks? She deserves so much better." 

Heat gave Snow's shoulder a firm but gentle squeeze. "Then, do better. She wants you, so do whatever you can to heal from the past. Didn't she have to do that, herself?" 

Snow nodded. "Yeah. The last time she went to Southtown, she sorted out a few things. She's gone through a lot, and I guess I have, too." He took a deep breath, calming down. A look of determination crossed his face. "You're right. I have to get through this. I mean, she did the same thing. She needs me to be a better man, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to become one. For her."

Heat nodded. "That sounds like a good idea." He stood up. "Come on, Snowcone. Let's get out of this chilly weather. Not like it's much better inside your place." 

"Your house isn't exactly comfortable for me, Lavabreath," Snow teased, cheering up.

Heat Miser patted Snow Miser's back as they went inside the castle together.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Snow Miser woke Nina up with a kiss. She sleepily opened her eyes and saw him sitting on the bed by her, smiling. "Good morning, angel." 

Nina yawned. "Good morning, darling." 

"Hey, I need to talk to you about something when you're ready." 

"I do, too," she said, stretching. 

"You go first."

"I'm canceling all my trips." 

Snow's smile disappeared. "What?" 

"Just for awhile. I need to be here with you while you're recovering." 

"Nina, I don't want you to do that. Flying is very important to you; I can't take that away from you, even though I almost did." 

"What do you mean?" 

Snow lowered his head, remorsefully. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Last night, I almost destroyed your plane. I blamed it for you nearly dying. I know it wasn't right, and I'm sorry." 

Nina put her hand under his chin and lifted it up, making him look at her in the eyes. Her face was filled with compassion and tenderness, and she spoke with a gentle tone. "I am very glad you told me about this. I'm sure it wasn't easy for you."

"It wasn't. I was so afraid you'd get angry at me and leave. I wasn't in my right mind, but that's no excuse for almost destroying one of your things." 

"But you didn't do it, and I'm proud of you. I understand you're ill and are having trouble dealing with it; that's one reason I'm not angry. I'm not going to leave. I'm still here." 

"To tell the truth, Heat Miser was there, and he helped talk me out of it." Snow held her hands. "You were right, Nina: I do need help. I've been so miserable lately, and if I keep living like this, I'm going to lose everything. I need a shrink, but there aren't any around here." 

Nina sat up in bed and thought for a little bit. "I could take you to see one, if you go in your human form." 

"That's a good idea, but it would be inconvenient." 

"It's better than you suffering, my love. Besides, I said I'd do whatever it takes to help you, and I'm going to keep my word."

He kissed her cheek. "Thank you, angel. Now, what's this about you canceling all your trips?" 

"It would be better for me to stay with you until you're healthier," she told him. 

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no," he said, holding his hands up. "I'm not going to let you stop traveling just because I'm going through a rough patch." 

"This is more than a rough patch," Nina told him. "You need my support right now more than ever. It wouldn't be right for me to go off and leave while you're dealing with things alone here."

"How about this: you go on one more trip, then you can stick around for awhile?" 

"Snow, we really need to address this as soon as we can." 

"I'll be okay, Nina. You and Mr. C. already started planning for this trip. And besides, what's another week? We still have a few weeks before you go, anyway. We have plenty of time." 

Nina looked skeptical. "Are you sure?" 

"Absolutely. I won't take no for an answer." 

Nina relented, promising she'd be back from her next trip as soon as she could. "It should only take a few days," she mentioned. "Three at the most, then I'll come straight back to you." 

"Okay, my little icicle," he said. "I'll be waiting." 

During the next few weeks, Snow Miser and Nina spent a lot of time together. Sometimes, Nina would visit Heat Miser and Santa and Mrs. Claus. She noticed that whenever she would take off and land, Snow would be waiting for her, but instead of approaching her, he'd stay a good distance away. He also wouldn't watch her take off, nor would he approach her when she landed and would wait until she walked to him. 

A few days before the trip, Nina asked him, "Snowy, can I ask you something?" 

"Of course, sugarplum." 

"Are you afraid of my plane?" 

He guffawed. "No! Where did you get an idea like that?" 

"You never come near it anymore." 

Snow didn't try to brush it off again. He sighed, heavily, knowing she wouldn't believe anything but the truth. He was quiet for awhile before responding. "...Okay, I am afraid of it." 

Nina stroked his cheek. "My love, there's no need for you to be ashamed. It's understandable." 

"But it's just a plane, a bunch of doohickies put together to make a flying machine. It can't really do anything by itself." 

"It's the memories attached to it that scare you." 

"Of course, they scare me. I mean, after that one crash, I thought you wouldn't pull through. I saw you...like that, and I didn't think you'd make it. And then, I almost lost you again. How can I not feel anything when I see it?" 

Nina hugged him, rubbing his back. "Your feelings are valid, and I won't make you be around my plane since it upsets you so much." 

Snow considered this, then told her, "No. I have to get over this. If I'm going to see a shrink, I need to be able to get in the plane." He took a deep breath. "I'm going to have to get used to being around it again." 

"Are you sure? You shouldn't rush it if you don't feel comfortable enough." 

"I'll ease into it. In fact..." He went to the entrance of the castle. "...I'll start now." 

Nina followed him outside to the backyard, where Snow approached the shed that Nina kept her plane in. He cautiously walked up to the aircraft. The closer he got to it, the more nervous he became. When he was three feet away, he was visibly shaking. Nina rushed to him and rubbed his arm, soothingly. "It's okay. Nothing is going to happen. I'm safe. I'm right here with you."

Snow froze in motion and sound, looking fearful. Nina gently pulled him away, continuing to speak softly and encouragingly to him. Finally, he took some deep breaths and said, "I'm okay. I'm okay, now." 

"You sure?" 

"Yeah. Yeah. Did I do alright?" 

Nina nodded, kissing his cheek. "You did very well." 

This seemed to calm Snow Miser and cheer him up. "See? I'll be okay." 

Nina kissed his cheek again. She was worried about him, but she needed to be supportive. If this would help him, then she needed to stand by him and let him work through his fears in his own way.


	5. Chapter 5

The morning came when Nina was to leave on her next trip. She loaded up her plane with help from the elves. Santa checked off all the items on the list. When everything was accounted for, he told Nina, "Looks like you're all set." 

Nina smiled and nodded, then noticed Snow Miser approaching them out of the corner of her eye. Around others, he tried to keep himself composed and joyful, like his old self, but Nina knew that he was a bit different now. He was still trying to get used to being comfortable around her airplane again, and though he had been making great progress, she could tell he was still not completely ready to be near it too much. She knew her going on this trip wouldn't be easy for him, and had it not been for his insistence, she would have postponed it. 

Snow Miser walked up to the small crowd and kissed Nina, passionately. "You ready to go, angel?" 

"Almost. Everything is packed; I just have to say good-I mean, see you later to everyone."

"That's fantastic! I hope you have a great time." 

Nina leaned in and whispered in his ear. "I promise I'll come back to you." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. Snow briefly looked sad, but he masked it, quickly. 

After she said her farewells, Nina got in the aircraft and took off, waving to the people on the ground. As much as she was worried about her lover, she had to focus on delivering the packages. 

Nina enjoyed being in the skies again. It felt freeing to soar amongst the clouds with nothing but the open air for company. She no longer used flying as an escape from her problems. Now, she simply did what felt natural to her. 

Her thoughts drifted to her late father. She wondered if he would be proud of how far she had come in her life since he had passed away. She thought about him often, and though it still hurt that he was gone, she felt a little more at peace each day and was moving on with her life. 

Nina was immediately brought back to the present when she heard a clanking in the engine. Anticipating trouble, she steered the plane closer to the ground, searching for a safe place to land. She was around 50 miles from the North Pole, and from the look of the terrain, she wasn't near any form of civilization. 

The young woman landed on a snowy patch of ground, nearly avoiding a forest. Pine trees stood nearby, covered in snow. 

Getting out of the plane, Nina shivered. A cold breeze slightly blew, carrying flurries across the wind. One landed on her nose, and she wiped it off, then walked around to the front of the aircraft and opened the hood. The problem was minor but still needed to be fixed. Nina got her tools out and went to work. 

The air got colder, and Nina had to stop and warm herself up. She rubbed her gloved hands together, taking a moment to let her mind wander. Her thoughts immediately went to Snow Miser. She hoped she could take care of the problem quickly so she could finish the voyage before he would start worrying about her. She should have stayed home. She should have- 

"Excuse me. Are you having some trouble?" 

Startled, Nina snapped out of her thoughts and whirled around. Her heart raced since she had thought she had been alone. Standing behind her was a tall man wearing a silver, glistening robe and matching hat. His skin was pale, and he had a long nose and kind, black eyes. He had lengthy, white hair and a beard. 

He smiled at her, warmly. "I'm sorry for startling you, my dear. Not too many people come to this part of the world. Are you lost?" 

"No, sir," Nina replied, politely, relaxing. "I'm having some engine trouble. I'll be on my way soon." 

"Is there anything I can do to help in any way? I'm afraid I can't do much in my state." 

Nina felt pity for the man and responded, "You can stay and chat. I could use the company while I work." It seemed that the two of them were the only people around, and Nina didn't really feel like being alone at that moment. 

"I won't be a distraction?" he tentatively asked.

"Not at all." 

Relieved, the man sat on a stump while Nina went to work on the engine. "I'm Nina Alvar," she stated as she loosened some screws.

"It's nice to meet you, Nina. You can call me Winter." 

She paused to look up and smile. "It's nice to meet you, too, Winter. So, do you live around here?" 

"Yes, just a couple of miles away." 

"This place has beautiful scenery," Nina mentioned, "though, I imagine it's cold year-round." 

"I don't mind chilly weather. These old bones have withstood a blizzard or two."

"Likewise," Nina said, quickly.

Suddenly, her mood changed, completely, and she frowned at the engine. "This is just great!" It took everything in her not to throw her tool at the ground. 

"What's the matter?" 

"The engine! This is going to take at least a couple of days to fix!" She leaned against the plane, her mind searching for every possible solution. Had she been alone, she would have let out her frustration more. Instead, she took some deep breaths. 

"It will be alright. I can tell you're a smart girl and can work this out," Winter told her in a soothing tone. 

Nina held back tears. "Thank you for the encouragement. You're very kind." 

"I don't know about that, but I'm willing to do what I can to help you in your time of need." 

"I appreciate that. You don't really have to do anything; I've had problems like this before. I'll get through it." 

Seeing his disappointed expression, Nina added, "Though I would be grateful if you stayed around, if you can. You're good company." 

"Thank you. I'd like that very much."

Nina continued to work on the plane. When the sun began to set, Winter told her, "It's getting dark. Would you like to stay at my home for the night?" 

"Oh, I can sleep in my plane. Thank you for the offer, though."

"It gets very cold here at night. I wouldn't want you freezing to death." 

Nina was fairly certain that couldn't happen, but she was getting chilly. Staying in a warm place sounded more appealing than sleeping alone in her plane. She had done enough of that in the past. 

Nina followed Winter into the forest. After they had walked around two miles, they approached a cave. "Welcome to my home." He went in, and Nina followed. 

The inside of the cave was bare, save for a bed of grass in the corner, a small fire pit in the center that had two logs near it, and a wooden shelf that hung above the bed. On the shelf set various odds and ends, and the only thing that stuck out was a very old orange toy train.

Nina stood inside the cave, and a wave of sorrow hit her. Winter must be really lonely, living by himself in the middle of nowhere. She wondered what had happened to him where he had been put in this position, but she felt it would be inappropriate for her to ask about his life. At least she was safe. Of that, she was fairly certain. He didn't give off any dangerous vibes.

"Have a seat. Make yourself at home. I'll make us a fire and put on some soup," Winter said, slowly walking around, picking up sticks and a cauldron. 

Nina asked, "Do you need any help, sir?" 

"No, thank you, my dear, but that's very sweet of you to ask."

Nina sat on a log and waited while Winter made a fire. "I'm afraid I'm not a very good cook, but this should be filling." He put the cauldron over the fire and filled it with water and vegetables. As he stirred, he stated, "I don't get any visitors. I hope I'll be a good enough host." 

"You've been great so far. I'm grateful for your hospitality." 

He paused, surprised. "I have? You are?" 

"Yes. Many people wouldn't be so generous." 

"I haven't received a compliment like that in ages. It means a lot to me." 

As he spoke, Winter stood in front of Nina, back facing her. He held his hand over the cauldron and sprinkled something into it. He ladled her a bowl of the soup and handed it to her, then gave himself one and sat on the other log. They began eating. 

Nina was pleased. "This is some of the best soup I've ever had, besides my mother's." 

"I still have a little magic left," Winter chuckled. "So, Nina, where are you from?" 

"Southtown, U.S.A." 

"It's quite warm there year round, isn't it?" 

She nodded. "I was used to it until I moved to a colder area a few months ago. Now, I'm adjusting to a colder climate....Do you mind if I ask how long you've lived here?" 

"Quite a while," Winter replied, softly. He didn't say much after that until after dinner. He set up a bed for Nina. "I hope this will be comfortable enough." 

Nina laid down on it. "Thank you. It's perfect. Good night." 

"Good night." 

In the morning, Nina woke up from a perfect dream. She usually didn't remember many of hers, but this one was quite vivid. Snow Miser and she were skating on a frozen pond under the moonlight, laughing. She woke up just as they were about to kiss. She hadn't slept that well in a while. 

Looking around the cave, Nina saw that Winter was gone. Getting up, she stretched and waited for him for a few minutes, but he didn't arrive. Wanting to resume repairing her plane as soon as possible, she walked out. She didn't have a way to tell him where she was going, but she figured he would know where she was. She walked back to the plane and continued working on it. 

A half-hour later, Snow Miser suddenly appeared by Nina. Nina didn't have time to react or say anything. He hugged her. "Nina, I was so worried about you!" His voice was filled with anxiety, though it lessened when he hugged her.

"Snow Miser?" Nina asked in disbelief. 

"Snow Miser?" Winter's voice echoed Nina's. 

Snow turned towards Winter, who had just arrived at the spot. Seeing him made Snow's relieved expression change into a frown. He paused for a moment before speaking. "Hi, Dad."


	6. Chapter 6

Nina looked at the two men in awe, processing what her lover had just said. "Snow Miser...Winter is your father?" 

"Unfortunately, yes." He kept frowning, not taking his eyes off Winter. 

Winter trembled, his voice as shaky as his body. "My little boy...My son...I haven't seen you in ages." He slowly walked towards Snow, holding out his arms. 

Snow turned away, rejecting the hug. "I know. And whose fault is that?" 

Winter lowered his arms, sadly. "You have every right to feel the way you do." 

"Damn right, I do. Come on, Nina; let's get out of here." 

Nina had been standing at the side, watching the two. When she thought about it, she wasn't that surprised that they were related; the news was just a little startling. She could see Snow's disdain and Winter's heartbreak, and she had so many questions. "Wait, Snowy," she told him, gently, laying a hand on his arm.

"I don't want to stay here any longer than I have to." 

"Please. He kept me safe last night after my plane gave me problems. Can't you at least talk to him? He can't be all that bad." 

Snow's eyes widened with anger, though the anger was not directed towards her. "Not that bad? Nina, you have no idea! This man ABANDONED me when I was a baby! He disappeared without a trace! I owe him nothing!"

"I don't expect you to have anything but ill-will towards me, my son," Winter said, hanging his head. "I know what I've done is inexcusable." 

"I'm not your son. You lost the right to call me that when you chose to leave. Come on, Nina." 

Nina couldn't convince Snow to stay, and as sad as that made her, a question suddenly came up in her mind. "How did you find me?" 

Snow Miser shifted from being angry to nervous. "Just a lucky guess," he lied. 

Nina stepped away from Snow. "How did you find me, and why? I've only been gone a day."

Knowing that he couldn't fool her, he told her, uneasily, "I got a magic snowball thing from Mr. C. It...It lets you see anything you want to see." 

Nina stared at him with horror. "You spied on me?" 

"Only because I was worried," he answered, quickly. 

"Snow Miser!" Nina walked away a few feet, then turned around. She clenched her fists, trying to calm down. "I understand you have anxiety, but you crossed a line. You can't do things like this; it's a violation of boundaries." 

"I know. I'm sorry, Nina. I'm so sorry."

"I need time to think. I don't want to be disturbed." Nina walked away into the forest, and neither Snow nor Winter followed her. 

Snow watched her walk until she was gone. He sighed, heavily. 

"Son..." 

"I told you, I'm not your son. Just stay out of my life." He walked away in the direction opposite of Nina. 

Nina was deep in the forest now, not caring where she was or what time it was. She felt betrayed. How could Snow Miser do this? Did he have to know her every move? She couldn't live like this. She needed freedom and respect and privacy. 

Looking up at the sky, Nina stopped walking and sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to do," she said aloud. 

"Nina?" 

Nina turned around and saw Winter approach her. "Oh, hi."

"I know you said you didn't want to be disturbed, but I really must talk to you." 

She sighed. Like father, like son. "Go ahead." 

"Nina, I know what it's like to lose people you love after making some mistakes. I don't want my son going through the same thing I did. I know Snow Miser did something horrible, and I'm not asking you to overlook his actions. I can tell you mean a lot to him. All I'm asking is that you show him a little mercy." 

"I'll try. I do love him very much, but-" Nina cut herself off, unsure of how many details of Snow Miser's and her life she should share with him. The three of them were in a delicate situation. 

"You don't have to explain," Winter told her. "I'll let you have your space, now. Will you be alright out here?" 

"Yeah. I can take care of myself. Will you be okay?" 

He smiled, sadly. "Yes. I knew that this would eventually happen. We are Immortals, and there's no way our paths wouldn't have crossed. I'm just glad I got to see him in person again, if only for one more time." With that, he walked away, leaving Nina alone in the forest.


	7. Chapter 7

After Nina spent more time pondering over the situation, she went back to her plane. Snow Miser was nowhere to be found. Instead, she saw Winter sitting on a stump near the aircraft. 

"I don't know where he is, though he walked in that direction," Winter told Nina before she got a chance to ask where Snow was. Winter pointed in the direction opposite of where they were facing. Sorrowfully, he said, "It would do me no good to try to talk to him, myself." 

"I will," Nina stated. "Thank you for everything." With that, she ran off to look for Snow Miser, taking a flashlight with her. 

Nina walked around for a few minutes, calling out to Snow Miser. She discovered he had not gone far and was lying on the ground, curled up in a ball. 

She rushed to him. "Snow Miser! Are you okay?" 

He was shaking. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Nina." 

Nina had never seen her boyfriend in this state before, though the realization hit her that this was possibly a normal occurrence for him, now, one that he had never let her see. She sat on the ground and held him in her arms. "I know. I know," she told him, gently. "Let's talk about this." 

Snow looked up at her, his eyes filled with fear. "I was so scared you wouldn't come back after you left the North Pole. I tried not to think about it, but I couldn't stand it! I went to Mr. C. and begged him to help me find you. Then, he showed me a snowball that could make someone see anything they want to see. I saw you fixing your plane in the middle of nowhere, and I...I freaked out. Then, I came here."

Nina listened to his story, patiently. When he was finished, she spoke. "Snowy, I'm okay. I'm not hurt; I just had a little engine trouble. I made a promise to you that I would come back, and I wanted you to trust that I'd keep that promise. I want you to trust me." 

She sighed and continued. "We both can't live like this anymore. Your mental state is getting worse, and I'm worried you're going to get seriously hurt. Plus, I'm not okay with you spying on me; it's breaking my trust. We need to get you to a therapist soon." 

Snow looked down. "I know. I'm sorry." He raised his head. "But what about the deliveries?" 

"That can wait. This can't. You need help, and we can't keep delaying it." 

He sighed, heavily, leaning against her. "I didn't want you to see me like this. It's just with you leaving and now seeing him...I couldn't handle it." 

"I understand. I don't want you to hide anything from me. If you want to, you can talk about it. If you're not ready, that's okay." She continued to hold him, stroking the ice on his head. 

This action relaxed Snow, considerably. He was quiet for awhile, then finally spoke. "He hasn't ever been in my life, and now that he decides to show up, he wants me to be happy to see him? No way. He didn't care about me enough to stick around, so I shouldn't have to give him the time of day." 

"Why did he leave?"

"I don't know. I don't think anyone knows, not even Mother." 

"Shouldn't you ask him? At least if you know the answer, you can get some kind of closure. Him leaving may be part of the reason you're scared I'll leave." 

He looked at her, his eyes widening a little. "You might be right. I guess that does make sense, but...I'm so mad at him. And what if he left because of me? That possibility has always been in the back of my mind." 

"I wouldn't think you were the reason, but no matter what the answer is, I'll be here for you. You're not alone." 

Snow Miser slowly got up, then helped Nina to her feet. "Okay. I'm ready." 

"You sure?" 

He nodded. "This is as good of a time as any, and if getting past this will help make me a better man for you, then I'll do it. I need to know."

Together, they made their way back to the plane. Winter wasn't there. "He must be back at his cave," Nina guessed. 

"Cave?" Snow asked, and Nina led him to the cave, where Winter sat by the fire pit. A small fire was lit. 

Winter looked up at the two and softly told them, "Come in. Come in."

Nina sat on the other log, while Snow Miser took a bit to look around before sitting by Nina. He took a deep breath and said, making eye contact with Winter, "I'm here. You have one chance to tell me everything that happened." His tone was serious and slow. 

"And you have a right to know," Winter agreed, then began his story. "A long time ago, I fell in love with your mother. I thought she was one of the most gorgeous creatures in the universe. She was already involved with many other men. At the time, she was mainly in a relationship with Ardre." 

"Ardre?" Snow asked. 

"He goes by many names, but you would know him as your brother, Heat's, father. Anyway, I entered a relationship with your mother, as well, and everything was grand for a long while. She became pregnant and gave birth to you and your brother."

Snow Miser quickly looked at Nina, who squirmed, uncomfortably. He gently squeezed her hand, and she relaxed.

Winter continued. "It was one of the happiest times of my life. You were such a joy to have around, and you were my only child. But then..." He sighed, remorsefully. "Then, I second-guessed myself. I have a horrible past, and I did despicable things. I felt ashamed and believed that I didn't deserve a family...or love. Around that time, my magic began waning, and I became more afraid and lost myself to my despair. I had so many conflicting emotions, and so many things were left unsaid. I was afraid your mother would no longer want me. I couldn't even tell Kris Kringle that I...Well, I couldn't face anyone anymore, so I left and isolated myself for all this time."

Snow Miser was silent for what seemed like hours, his eyes looking at the fire but not really focusing on it, his expression blank and hard to read. He processed what Winter said, taking it all in and analyzing the details. "That's why you left? You felt bad because you used to be a bad guy?" he finally asked. 

"I was afraid that you would go down the same path I did or would despise me for what I was," Winter answered. "I wanted you to be better than the man I used to be."

"I wouldn't have cared about that. All I wanted was a father who loved me and stuck around, but you weren't there for me when I needed you." 

Winter nodded, sadly. "I regret what I did and wish I could change the past. I wish I would have been good from the start and had not lost my powers." 

"That's not the point. I still would have wanted you around, and I bet Mother would've, too. Every time I asked her about you, she would almost cry, and sometimes she couldn't even answer me because she was so sad." 

Winter seemed surprised. "She was?" 

"Yeah. She never said a bad thing about you; she just didn't understand why you left. You have to go back and tell her what happened." 

Winter turned his head and looked away. "I...I can't. Not now. Not after all this time." 

"Why not? What are you so afraid of?" 

"It's too late, and it's been too long. I can't make amends for what I've done." 

Snow stood up. "That's bullshit. You have people out there who still remember you and care about you. You can't just sit around this dump, feeling sorry for yourself! You bailed on everyone who ever meant anything to you!" 

Outside, a blizzard suddenly raged. Nina noticed the change in weather, then rapidly stood up and laid her hand on his arm. "Snow Miser..." Her voice was soft but slightly afraid. 

Snow immediately turned his attention to Nina, and the blizzard stopped as quickly as it had started. He looked into her eyes, seeing her fear, and calmed down. Taking a deep breath, he told Winter, "Look, I can't make you do anything, but if you want to redeem yourself, talking to Mother would be a good place to start. Please, just...try." 

Winter observed the two and had been watching them since the blizzard had begun. He finally nodded. "Alright," he said, quietly. "I'll try." 

"Could you take us to your mother's?" Nina asked Snow. 

"I think so, but what about your plane?" 

"We can come back and get it later," she told him, kissing his cheek. 

Snow Miser smiled at Nina, faintly, then asked, "Is everybody ready?" 

"Wait," Winter said. "I just have to take one thing with me." He gingerly picked up the orange toy train off the shelf. "I'm ready." 

Snow Miser took a deep breath and teleported the three of them away.


	8. Chapter 8

Snow Miser, Nina, and Winter arrived right outside Mother Nature's house. Snow said to Winter, "You better let me knock, first. If Mother sees you right off the bat, she might faint." 

Winter seemed nervous and unsure of himself. He stood beside the house, out of sight, while Snow Miser knocked. Nina stood beside Snow.

Soon, Mother Nature answered the door. "Snow Miser? Nina? What a pleasant surprise. What are you two doing here so late?" 

"I'm full of surprises, Mother," Snow told her, slightly frowning. "We ran into someone earlier who we think you should see." He motioned to Winter, who meekly approached them. 

Mother Nature gaped when she saw Winter, and she put a hand on her heart. "Winter?" she gasped. 

"Hello, Enid," he greeted her, nervously. 

The woman stood in disbelief for a few minutes, staring at the old man. Finally, she found her voice. "Come in, all of you." 

After the three of them entered the house, Mother Nature closed the door behind them. Winter whispered, holding out the toy train, "Will one of you hold onto this? It's very special to me." 

Nina carefully took the toy. Immediately, images flashed in her mind, memories that were not her own. She saw a young man with orange hair and wearing a red suit giving the train to a different-looking version of Winter. The images disappeared, and she turned her head towards Snow, who looked concerned. He led Nina to the couch, and they sat down. "Are you alright?" he whispered. 

She nodded. "I'll tell you later," she said in a hushed tone.

At that moment, Mother Nature turned around and faced Winter, who was still standing up. She hesitantly approached him. "Winter...I haven't seen you for so long. Where have you been all these years?" 

"In hiding." he told her, lowering his head in shame. "I don't even know where to start." 

"We have plenty of time." 

Winter took a slow, deep breath. "I...I didn't deserve you. I had everything I could ever want, and I threw it all away. I was so ashamed of my past, and I was afraid I couldn't escape it. Then, when I began losing my powers, I was certain you would want nothing to do with me, so I left. I thought you and Snow Miser would be better off without me in your lives." 

Mother Nature's eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Winter." She wrapped her arms around him, and he shook, wide-eyed. "I knew all about your past. I wasn't worried for either Snow Miser or myself. I still would have wanted you, with or without your powers." 

The emotion was too much for Winter to handle. He began crying on her shoulder, hugging her. "I'm so sorry, Enid. Can you ever forgive me?" 

"Of course," Mother Nature sniffled. "I never stopped loving you." 

"And I never stopped loving you. Not a day went by that I didn't think of you." 

Mother Nature gently pulled Winter's face down to hers and kissed his lips. In turn, Winter wrapped his arms around her.

Nina watched the scene, holding back tears. They were witnessing a powerful moment, a reunion long overdue. She looked over at Snow Miser, who was watching his parents. This was the first time he had ever seen them both together. He tried to keep a stoic expression, but Nina could see in his eyes that he was emotional, as well. She reached over and hugged him, and he held her close. 

"Come and sit down," Mother Nature told Winter, composing herself. "I'll get us all some tea." She went in the kitchen while Winter sat down in a chair by the couch. 

"Would you like this back?" Nina asked, holding out the toy train. 

"Yes, please." Winter gently took it from her and held it. He gradually began relaxing at long last. 

Mother Nature walked back into the room a few minutes later, carrying a tray with four cups of iced tea. She set the tray down before handing the cups to her guests. She took one for herself and sat down in a chair. "I want to know everything. What happened? Snow Miser, how did you find him?" 

"Actually, it was Nina who found me," Winter told her. 

"I had some problems with my plane and landed near where he was living." 

"And then Snow Miser showed up, and-"

Snow Miser suddenly got up and went outside. The room fell quiet. Mother Nature sighed, softly. "Give him time," she told Winter. "He needs to get used to having you in his life." 

Winter nodded, sadly. "I wish I had never left you two, but what's done is done." He looked at Nina. "You know him well. Do you think he'll ever forgive me?" 

"I hope so," Nina answered, truthfully. "He's just recently made up with Heat Miser." 

"Oh, yes. Those two fought constantly," Mother Nature brought up. "Snow Miser tends to hold grudges, but I'm sure with time, he'll forgive you."

Winter just nodded, solemnly. 

Nina stood up and went outside. She found Snow staring up at the night sky. She hugged him from behind. "Hey. You okay?" 

"Sure. It's just another mistake I have to be reminded of." 

"I forgive you, my love. We'll get through this." She held his hand. "We'll get through ALL of this together."

Snow kissed her hand, then looked up at the stars again. "I don't understand. Why now? Why is this happening now? Why couldn't he have come back sooner? It's like I'm meeting a stranger, but yet...he's my own father." 

"I can't answer that, but now you can get acquainted with him. He didn't leave out of malice. You should give him a chance at your own pace."

"I don't know. I'm still getting used to the idea of seeing him. What if I do, and he just leaves again?"

Nina squeezed his hand. "Have a little faith in him. Besides, I don't think your mother will let him go this time." 

Snow chuckled. "Yeah. It's weird seeing them together. Well, I think we should leave them alone now. They have a lot to talk about." 

Nina agreed, and the two of them went inside to tell the other two they were leaving. Nina hugged Mother Nature and Winter, who was surprised by the gesture but welcomed it, nevertheless. Snow only hugged his mother. Winter reached out to his son but quickly withdrew when he figured out that it wouldn't be well-received. They all said their goodbyes, then Snow teleported himself and Nina home.


	9. Chapter 9

Over the course of a few weeks, Nina repaired her plane and took Snow Miser (in his human form) to the nearest therapist they could find. On the way home from one of the sessions, Snow told her, "I feel bad that we're going all this way back and forth." 

"I don't mind it. In fact, I want to do this. Is it helping you?" 

"Yeah. It's nice to get it all out there to someone who isn't involved in my mess. Well, not all of it, but the gist of it. You know what I mean." 

"I do. And it's our mess, my love. I'm going to be here for you every step of the way, no matter how long it takes." 

"I appreciate it. I can't tell you how grateful I am to you for sticking with me." 

"You've done the same for me." 

When they arrived home, Snow changed back into his original form. Relieved, he told her after giving her a kiss, "I'm going to chill out." 

"Me, too. I'll be in the shed if you need me." 

"Alright, sugarplum." 

Snow Miser went inside the castle while Nina went into her shed. 

Nina sat down on the couch and stretched out. Snow didn't seem as anxious now to leave her alone, which she was thankful for. Not only did she enjoy her alone time, but she noticed that therapy was actually doing her lover a lot of good. She had gone to a couple of the sessions with him, especially the first one, when he had been the most nervous. Now, he seemed to be getting used to it. 

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door. "Come in," she said. 

The door opened, and Winter peeked his head into the doorway. "Nina? I hope you don't mind me dropping by." 

Nina sat up. "Not at all. Come in and have a seat. Would you like me to get Snow Miser?" 

As Winter entered and sat down on the couch, he answered, a bit nervously, "No. It's you I wanted to see. I saw the shed in the back and assumed it was yours." He looked around. "This is a beautiful little getaway you have, by the way." 

"Thank you. Snow Miser and Heat Miser built it for me." 

"They did a wonderful job." 

Nina sat by him. "They sure did. They made it so I'd have a place to myself when I'd need it. So, what did you want to see me about?" Nina asked. 

"It's about Snow Miser. He's barely said a word to me since I've come back. I've tried talking to him several times, but he just ignores me."

"He needs time, probably a lot of time, unfortunately. He's gone through a lot and is working through some things." 

"Enid told me he's seeing a therapist." 

Nina nodded. "Yeah. I really think it's helping him, but he has a long way to go." 

"I'll never be able to fully express how guilty I feel for leaving. I'm sure my absence created a lot of issues for him. My poor boy..."

The look on his face was heartbreaking. Nina put a hand on his shoulder. "But now you're here, and the best way you can help him is to stay and be a part of his life. It will take awhile for him to adjust, but he'll soften up. He's a very loving person."

"He is?" 

The young woman nodded. "He's incredibly sweet. It just takes him a long time to heal from things. I'm sure he'll forgive you in time. Would you like me to try to talk to him?"

Winter looked up at her. "Would you do that for me?" 

"Of course. After what you did for me, I owe you." 

"Oh, my dear, you don't owe me anything," he told her, kindly. "I'm just glad I could help you, especially since you are so important to my son. I can tell you mean a lot to each other." 

Nina smiled, warmly. "Is it that obvious?" 

"Oh, yes. The way you two talk to each other, your body language, the way you look at one another...Yes, there's no doubt that you both are in love." He sighed. "At least my son turned out better than I. That's one blessing." 

"It's not too late for you," Nina told him. "Just because you were away for a long time, it doesn't mean you can't be the person you want to be or have the life you want to have." 

Winter looked at her. A glimmer of hope crossed his face, but it quickly passed. "I think my path is set in stone. I've been around for a long, long time. While I could change, some things...are beyond my control." 

"Like what?" 

Winter looked away.

Softly, Nina said, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I just want you to know that everything is going to be okay."

Winter looked at her, his expression kind but his eyes filled with pain. "I...I don't know if I should go into detail. If you knew, you'd hate me, just as Snow Miser does." 

"Snow Miser doesn't hate you," Nina told him. "He's hurt by you leaving, but he doesn't hate you." 

"He would if he knew." 

"Knew what?" 

Winter hesitated. "Nina...I'm trusting you won't judge me. I've never told anyone this before, and I need this to be kept a secret." 

"I promise I won't tell anyone." 

Winter cast his eyes on the floor, frowning, worried. Finally, he spoke. "I love Enid. I have for a very long time, and I still do, but....she is not the only one I love." 

Nina waited for him to continue. When he spoke again, his voice trembled. "When I met Kris, I thought he was an annoying human, one I could easily destroy. At the time, I was cruel and did unspeakable things. Despite all this, he gave me a gift, that toy train I took with me from the cave. Because of him, I truly believed I could become a good person, and..." He took a deep breath. "...I fell in love with him. Of course, I couldn't say anything. He had Jessica, and I didn't want to interfere. Besides, I was afraid he'd want nothing to do with me if he knew that I developed feelings for him. Seeing him again after all these years has made all those feelings resurface." 

"Why don't you tell him now?" Nina asked, gently. 

Winter looked at her and shook his head. "I couldn't do that. What would he think of me? I'd lose his friendship for sure." 

"I doubt it. I can't see him treating you badly for any reason, especially for something like that. He's very accepting of all kinds of people. If he didn't, he wouldn't be Santa Claus." 

The old man smiled, faintly. "Yes. You're right. Still, I can't see it turning out well. I mean, what if he never wants to see me again? And how would Enid and Snow Miser react if they found out I like men, as well as women? I'm trying to rebuild what I had with Enid, and Snow Miser...Well, it would just give him more reason to dislike me." 

Nina sat, staring off into space for a moment after he made the last comment, then, she shook her head. "Snowy wouldn't dislike you for being bisexual." 

"Is that what they call it?" 

"Yeah. I mean, I am, too." 

Winter's eyebrows raised in surprise. "You are?" 

Nina nodded. "I prefer men over women, but I still find women attractive." 

"Does Snow Miser know?" 

"Yes, and he doesn't have a problem with it." 

This seemed to put Winter slightly at ease. "I'm glad he's accepting of it. Still, I don't know if I should tell Kris. It would be such a big risk. I might lose everyone again, just when I'm getting them back." 

Nina laid a hand on his arm. "There's no rush to tell anyone. If you're not ready, you can wait. You might be surprised, though; things may turn out better than you think." 

"I hope so. I really hope so." He stood up. "Thank you so much for listening and being so understanding." 

"You're very welcome," Nina stated, standing up, as well. 

"I should be going. Enid and I are going on a date later." 

Nina smiled. "That's wonderful. I hope you two have a good time. And I'll talk to Snow Miser and see if I can convince him to talk to you." 

"I appreciate that. Thank you." 

As Winter began to leave, he acted like he wanted to hug her, but he stopped himself. Nina saw his hesitation and walked up to him and hugged him. He gently wrapped his arms around her. "You're welcome. Try not to worry so much; it'll all work out in the end," she told him. 

He nodded, then pulled away. The two said their goodbyes, then Winter left.


	10. Chapter 10

Later that evening, Nina went inside the castle and found Snow Miser standing next to his minions, who were at the control panels that controlled the weather. Snow gave them directions about which levers to push. 

Nina walked up to Snow Miser and hugged him from behind. He turned his head, saw her, and smiled. "Hello, my snow angel." 

"Hey, Snow God. What are you doing?" 

"Just conjuring up some last-minute snowstorms before turning in for the night." He wrapped his arms around hers, pulling her closer. "There's one in Toronto, Moscow, and just for kicks, Sydney." 

"Isn't Sydney in Heat Miser's territory?" 

"Yeah, he'll probably turn it into rain or fog, but it's still fun to mess with him once in awhile." He let out a big, hearty laugh. 

Nina giggled, relieved. Snow was becoming more and more like his old self. She was grateful the therapy was helping him. 

She watched the minions for a bit before asking, "Snowy, can we talk when you're not busy?" 

"I'm not busy now." He turned and faced her. Looking over his shoulder, he addressed his miniature look-alikes. "Okay. That's enough for today." He then looked back at Nina. "I'm all yours." 

Nina took him by the hand and led them to their bedroom. "Snow Miser," she said after they were seated on the bed, "you really should talk to your dad. It's been a few weeks." 

The tall man's expression changed from jovial to perturbed. "Why? What brought this up?" 

"He's really hurting, and I know you are, too. If you just talk to him, maybe you'll hurt a little less." 

Nina expected Snow to be angry or at least annoyed with her for telling him this, but he only sighed and told her, "I don't know if I'm ready." 

The young woman put her hand on his. "You're still struggling to adjust to having him around. That's okay. I know you both have all the time in the world, but..." She looked away at the bed. "You have a chance to interact with your dad and make amends and have some kind of relationship with him. I don't have that opportunity." 

"Is that why this is so important to you?"

"That's part of it. I'm never going to be able to see or talk to my dad ever again. I'd give anything to have the chance to do that." 

Snow Miser held Nina in his arms. "Come here, honey. I'm so sorry. You must feel awful." 

She leaned her head against him, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I miss him." 

"I bet you do. It'll be okay, sweetheart." 

Nina sniffled, then looked up at him. "Did you miss your dad when he was gone?" 

"I didn't know him; I just wondered why he didn't stay. I guess I missed him in a way. I mean, it was kinda hard not having him around." He stroked her hair. "If it means that much to you, I'll try talking to him." 

"I don't want you to do it just for my sake. You need him, and he needs you." 

"You really think he needs me?" 

"Of course. You're his son." 

"Hm. You're right. I guess I'll have to get used to having a father, if he decides to stay this time. I'll talk to him tomorrow. Will you come with me?" 

"Absolutely." 

The next afternoon, Snow Miser and Nina went over to Mother Nature's house. When Mother Nature let them in, she told her son in a worried tone, "Please, don't fight with him."

"I'm not planning on it, Mother," he assured her. 

Snow and Nina walked into the living room, where Winter was sipping a cup of tea. When he saw them, he greeted them in a soft voice. "Hello." 

"Hey. I want to talk to you, if you're not busy," Snow said.

"Not at all. Have a seat." Winter motioned to the couch, and Snow Miser and Nina sat down. 

Snow was quiet, struggling to figure out what he wanted to say. Nina squeezed his hand, which gave him the strength to finally speak. "I don't know where to start." 

"Take your time." 

"I thought I had it figured out, but now that I'm here...I don't know. There's so much I want to say to you, so much I've WANTED to say to you all these years. Now that I have the chance, I don't know if it would even matter."

"It would. Say whatever is on your mind. I want to hear it all."

Snow sighed. "I know why you left; you already told me. I just don't understand why you thought it was a good idea. I don't see your reasoning. If you weren't evil when I was born, then why did you feel the need to leave? I always had it in the back of my mind that it was somehow my fault." 

"No! It wasn't your fault at all!" Winter cried out. The intensity of his voice surprised Snow Miser. "You are one of the greatest gifts I've ever gotten! I loved you more than anything, and I still do. I felt that I was unworthy of you and your mother, that you deserved better than anything I could give. I've struggled with many issues for my entire existence, one being my powers. They fluctuate and sometimes disappear, depending on my mental state. I thought without my powers, I'd be unwanted...unneeded...useless..." 

"Come on. That's not true." 

"I know that now, but at the time, I had it in my head that you'd be better off without me. That wasn't the only reason I left, anyway." 

"What else?" 

Winter looked away. 

"Let's just lay everything on the table, right here, right now. Don't hold back anymore. What else was there?" 

"I...I was struggling with my feelings for someone." 

"Mother?" 

"No. There was someone else....A man." Winter fidgeted with his hands and immediately darted his eyes away. 

"You like guys?" 

"And women. I've been struggling with this for ages. I didn't want to tell anyone for fear that I'd be abandoned and hated."

"Oh, geez." Snow Miser facepalmed. "I'm bisexual. There's no shame in it." 

Winter was surprised. "You are, too?" 

"Yeah. Look, no matter what you are or what you've done, you're never going to be hated or abandoned. You were so scared of that happening that you left before anyone had a chance to say how they felt." 

"I did do that. I'm very sorry. I let my fears take over me, and I lost everything." The old man cast his eyes down to the floor.

Snow watched his father and sighed. "You can have it all back," he told him, tentatively. "I'm willing to let you into my life, as long as you don't leave again." 

At this, Winter became filled with hope. He got up out of the chair and held out his arms. Snow debated with himself whether to accept the gesture, then stood up and slowly hugged Winter. Winter held Snow close, murmuring, "My little boy...My precious little boy...It's been so long..."

Snow Miser sniffled, and icy tears ran down his cheeks. Winter kissed the top of his head. "It's alright, my son. I'm not going to leave again. Not now, not ever. I promise." 

Winter motioned for Nina to join them. She got up and joined the hug. "My children..." Winter said, content. When he pulled away, he told Nina, "I hope you don't mind. I consider you a daughter." 

"I'm honored, if Snow doesn't object," Nina stated, wiping her eyes, overwhelmed with emotion. She glanced at Snow Miser to see what he thought. 

Snow tried to regain his composure. "I'm okay with it. She's the daughter you never had." 

"I love both of you. I'm so thankful to have you two in my life. Thank you for everything and for giving me a second chance." 

"I'm just paying it forward," Snow stated, looking at Nina, who smiled at him. 

"By the way," Snow asked when they all sat down again, "who's the guy you had feelings for, if you don't mind me asking?" 

Winter hesitated before replying, "Kris Kringle." 

Snow Miser pokerfaced. "Did not see that coming." 

"I told your mother about it recently, but I haven't said anything to Kris yet. I'm still deciding if I should or not." 

"What have you got to lose?" 

"His friendship." 

"Ah, if he can't handle a little love confession, then he's not much of a friend," Snow remarked, nonchalantly waving his hand. "Look, you gotta stop letting fear rule your life and just go with the flow. If you worry about losing people all the time, you can't enjoy what you have with them." He looked over at Nina. "That's something I've been trying to learn." 

"You're doing really well," Nina assured him, squeezing his hand. 

"Is there a story behind all this, if you don't mind me asking?" Winter questioned. 

Snow Miser and Nina agreed to tell him about when they first met up until the time that they found Winter. During the story, Mother Nature came in and sat down after serving everyone a cup of tea. 

When the young couple was done with their tale, Winter looked thoughtful. "I'm glad you two found each other," he stated after a pause. "You're good for one another." He looked at Mother Nature. "Happiness isn't always easy to come by, but...the rewards outweigh the risks, don't they?" 

Mother Nature nodded. "Yes, my dear. If you want to confess your feelings to Santa Claus, I support you. No matter what the outcome will be, I will be here for you." 

Changing the subject, she turned her attention to both her son and Winter. "You don't know how happy it makes me to see you two here and talking to each other. I wasn't sure if this was a sight I'd ever see. We're all blessed that things turned out the way they did, aren't we?" 

They all agreed. 

Nina could tell that the visit did her lover immense good. He was already more relaxed than usual and even made a few jokes. A warm feeling flooded her chest knowing that things would only become better and better for Snow Miser from then on. It was what he deserved.


	11. Chapter 11

Valentine's Day was quickly approaching, and Nina still didn't know what to get Snow Miser. With everything that had been going on, she had nearly forgotten about the holiday. Besides, she still couldn't think of anything that would be good enough for him. Despite their few relationship issues, she was still very much in love with him, and she wanted to make sure she gave him the perfect present. Finally, she came up with something. 

On the morning of Valentine's Day, Snow Miser woke Nina up with a kiss. "Good morning, angel." 

"Good morning, my love," Nina replied, yawning.

"Honey, I have something for you, but it's going to have to wait until tonight. Are you okay with that?" 

"Of course," Nina replied, stretching. "To be honest, I wasn't sure if you even wanted to do anything today." 

"It's our first Valentine's Day," he stated. "I want it to be special." 

"It already is," Nina told him, smiling and resting a hand on his cheek. 

They spent the entire day together. When it grew dark, Snow Miser told Nina, "Okay, close your eyes." 

"Wait. I have to get something, first," Nina said, then went to the shed and came back with her guitar. She closed her eyes. 

When Nina opened them, she gasped. They were on a grassy field that was covered with snow. A blanket was spread out on the ground, and a picnic basket was in the middle of it, along with two candles and a vase with a single red rose from one of Nina's rosebushes. The most awe-inspiring sight of all, though, was the Aurora Borealis, shining clearly in all her wonder and beauty.

Nina took a moment to take in the scene. When she was finally able to speak, she gasped, "Snow Miser....this is beautiful!" 

"Do you like it?" 

She turned towards him, set her guitar down, and kissed his lips, taking awhile to pull away. Snow chuckled. "I take that as a 'yes'." 

They sat on the blanket, facing the the natural phenomenon. Snow poured her a glass of wine, then himself one. Nina insisted on helping him set out the food. They began eating and drinking and admiring the view. 

"This is the best gift ever," Nina told him. "No one has ever done anything like this for me."

"You deserve it, sweetheart," Snow said. "You deserve the world, but I'm afraid I can't give you that." 

"I don't want the world; I just want you." Nina stopped eating for a bit and said, "Snow Miser, I've been thinking a lot about what you asked, about us getting married." 

Snow swallowed some food before asking, surprised, "Oh?" 

"Yeah. I want to be with you for a long time, and I think we should start talking about it." 

Snow Miser put down his food and sat closer to her and hugged her. "Honey, that's wonderful! I'd love to get married!" 

Nina smiled at him, tenderly, but pulled away. "There's a lot more we have to discuss, first. I'm still not completely sure." 

"We can discuss it as much as you need to," he assured her. 

She hesitated. "Like, I keep thinking about what Ben said, that I'm not wife material and that no one wants to be with a woman who doesn't want children." 

"That's ridiculous. Nina, I love you for who you are. It doesn't matter to me one way or the other if we have kids. You make me happy, and I want to be your husband." 

"I know. It's just...his words keep echoing in my head. It hurt when he said it. Most of the time, I don't think about it, but when I do, it's so loud that it overpowers everything else, even logical thought." 

Snow Miser held her close, smoothing her hair. "Then, let me help. Maybe my words can be louder than his someday." He kissed her forehead. "He lost out on a great woman. I'm glad you're with me, now. There's no way I'm ever letting you go, unless you want to leave, of course." 

"I don't want to leave. I'm perfectly happy with my life. Marrying you would only enhance it." 

Nina continued. "Well, since we're on the same page about marriage now, there's something else we need to discuss." 

"Hm?" Snow lazily asked, combing her hair with his fingers, content. 

"My family still doesn't know about you. If we're going to get married, you need to meet them. Even if we don't get married, they still need to meet you. I haven't seen them in over a month, and they don't know about anything that happened since I came to the North Pole." 

"Just say when, and we'll go." 

"It's more complicated than that," Nina said, worried. "What if they don't believe me? I can't lie, but if I tell them the truth, I don't know how they'd react. I just made up with my mother and stepfather. What if they react badly?" 

"Angel, I'm sure they love you very much and would believe you, especially if I showed them my true form. We'll ease into it. How about that? When the time is right, we'll prove it to them. No matter what happens, I'll be there."

Nina faced Snow and kissed him. "That sounds like a good plan. Thank you so much for everything." 

"Aw, I didn't do much." 

"You have, and it means the world to me." Nina sat up and reached for her guitar. "I got you a present, too. Well, actually, I made it." She tuned her guitar and played and sang a love song. 

When Nina was done, Snow asked her, touched, "Nina, you wrote that for me?" 

She nodded. 

"It's beautiful, just like you. No one's ever written me a song before. It's the best gift I've ever gotten." 

"You really like it?"

"Of course. I love you, Nina. You know, Valentine's Day has always made me a little sad." 

"Why?" 

"It's the last major holiday that I celebrate before spring gets here. It'll start warming up soon, and all the snow will melt away." He shuddered, then held her hands. "Now, with you around, it won't be so bad." 

"I'm happy I have that effect on you. You make me feel the same way; being with you makes all the hard times easier to bear."

Snow Miser tenderly stroked Nina's cheek and embraced her. Together, they enjoyed the rest of their evening under the Northern Lights.


	12. Chapter 12

Nina and Snow Miser decided to go to Southtown after Nina made a delivery for Santa and Mrs. Claus's charity. While she was gone, Snow Miser visited his brother. Heat Miser wasn't in his throne room when Snow arrived. He came in a few minutes later, looking rushed. 

"Busy, hothead?" Snow playfully asked. 

"Not more than usual, snowman." Heat had some sort of white powder on his shirt. 

"So I see." Snow sniffed the air. "I smell bread. Have you been baking?" 

"NO!" Heat shouted, red in the face. Then, he calmed down a bit. "Mrs. Claus brought me some extra baked goods she had lying around." 

"Uh, huh. Anyway, you got a sec?" 

"I suppose. It depends. What do you want?" 

"To talk. I wanted you to be the first to know." 

"To know what?" Heat asked, sitting on his throne. "You might as well sit down." 

Snow sat in a chair near Heat. "Nina and I are talking about getting married." 

Heat raised an eyebrow. "Already?" 

"Yeah. Things are getting a lot better for us. I'm just worried about one thing."

"Just one?" 

"Ha, ha," Snow rolled his eyes. "We're just talking about it for now. I haven't proposed yet. Anyway, Nina wants me to meet her family, whether we get married or not."

At this, Heat shifted, uncomfortably, in his chair. "You sure that's a good idea? You know how humans can be."

"I don't have much of a choice. Her mom and stepdad don't have a clue I even exist." 

"How much about yourself are you going to tell them? You're not just going to show up in your real form, are you?" 

"Yeah, sure. That will make a great first impression. I'm sure they'd take seeing an 8-foot snow god really well." 

"That's what you're calling yourself now?" 

"I dunno. Nina calls me Snow God. Whatever fits." 

Heat scoffed, and Snow chuckled, then grew serious. "I'm worried. I mean, it was different when I introduced Nina to Mother formally. Nina was a human and doesn't have any special powers." 

"That you know of." 

"What do you mean?" 

"Well, she's an Immortal. Who knows what abilities she does or doesn't have." 

"Santa and Mrs. C. don't have any powers, do they?" 

Heat shrugged. "How am I supposed to know? You're more buddy-buddy with them than I am."

"What I'm trying to get at is what if Nina's family doesn't accept me like mine accepted her?" 

"Then, you deal with it. You're not mean to her, so there isn't much for them to gripe about. So what, you have ice powers? You haven't used them on her. If they don't like you, then they don't like you. You're not in a relationship with them." 

"I know, but me meeting them is really important to her." Snow's brows furrowed, and he spoke faster. "I just want everything to go well. What if it doesn't? What if that's a dealbreaker for her?" 

Seeing his brother become anxious, Heat told him, "After all you two have been through, you think she'd leave you over something like this? She knows what's in that icy heart of yours. She knows what she's getting into. I'm sure if her family doesn't like you, she'll handle it. I think you're worrying too much about it, though. You're not that bad of a guy, and if they're anywhere as decent as she is, they'll look past anything they consider abnormal and accept you."

Snow took a deep breath. "You're right. I just want to be prepared in case things go south." 

"You ARE going south." 

"You know what I meant, smartass," Snow smirked. 

Heat cackled. "I just love the thought of you dealing with the weather down there. Southtown is in MY territory, you know." 

"Yeah, yeah. I'll deal with it. It'll suck, but I'll deal with it. For her." 

"So, have you planned out the wedding yet?" Heat asked, sitting so his legs were draped over the side of the chair. 

"Not yet. We've talked about it a little, but nothing is set in stone." 

"Good. She still has time to back out." 

"Now, that's mean."

"Well, you two just met a couple of months ago. You shouldn't rush into this." 

"I know. I know, and we're not. We're going to take all the time we need, no matter how long that ends up being." Snow Miser sighed, dreamy. "Gods, I love her..." 

"I know you do. Anyone who has eyes can see that. Don't worry so much, okay? It'll turn out alright." 

"Thanks. Say, do you have any of Mrs. C.'s bread left?" 

"Yeah. I suppose you want a piece?" 

"If it's not too much trouble." 

"It is, but I'll get one for you, anyway." Heat left the room and came back with a plate of fresh bread. 

Snow ate a piece. "Mmm! This is delicious! Mrs. C. sure knows how to cook!" 

"Yeah..." Heat slowly munched on a piece of bread. 

"You mind if I take a piece home to Nina? I'm sure she'd love it, too."

"Go ahead," Heat replied, motioning toward the plate. 

After a while of visiting, Snow Miser carefully wrapped up a piece of bread and said his goodbyes. "Thanks for everything," he told Heat.

"Anytime. Try not to worry so much about the trip, okay? Oh, and don't even THINK about trying to make it snow down there." 

"No promises," Snow laughed, and he left.


	13. Chapter 13

After Nina returned home from her weeklong trip, Snow Miser and she waited a couple of days before they decided to go to Southtown. During that time, they visited people at the North Pole. 

The couple stopped by Santa and Mrs. Claus's house. Mrs. Claus let them in with a smile and a hug. 

When they entered the living room, Snow Miser and Nina saw Santa and Winter sitting next to each other on the couch, holding hands. Santa held a book in his other hand, reading. When he saw the couple come in, Santa stood up, put his book down, and greeted Nina with a hug and Snow with a firm and friendly handshake. Winter stood up and hugged both his son and Nina. Soon, they all sat down. 

"So, are you two ready to go to Southtown?" Santa asked. 

Both Nina and Snow nodded. "I can't wait to see my family again," Nina stated. 

Snow put his arm around her. "It'll be a memorable trip, that's for sure." 

"It's pretty warm down there, Snowy. Will you be alright?" Mrs. Claus asked. 

"Oh, I'll manage," he chuckled. 

Nina knew Snow Miser was more worried about seeing her family than he was about how his body would handle the weather. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be there for you no matter what happens." 

"I know, angel. I'll be there for you, too. How's things been going around here?" Snow turned his attention toward their hosts. 

"Pretty well. We've started setting things up for Christmas," replied Santa. "Say, would you two like to help us with the Christmas party this year?" 

"Us?" Snow and Nina asked, simultaneously. 

"Of course! It would be fun!" 

"That sounds great, but that's really Snow Miser's kind of thing," Nina mentioned.

"You can do as much or as little as you want. We just thought it'd be nice to include you both in the festivities," said Mrs. Claus. 

"I'd love to help," Snow Miser stated with a big grin. "Everyone knows I love a good party." 

They chatted for awhile, then Santa turned toward Winter. "You've been quiet, Mr. Warlock." 

"Winter, if you please, Kris," Winter said with a small smile. "I'm simply happy to be among people I love." 

Nina beamed, completely understanding where he was coming from. She wasn't an overly chatty person, herself. Sometimes it was just nice to let other people talk. 

Winter looked at Santa, who gave him a knowing nod. Winter stood up and asked, "Why don't you kids come get some fresh air with me? I need a little exercise and could use the company." 

"Yeah, okay. Why not? I need to get out in the cold, anyway. No offense, you guys," Snow told Santa and Mrs. Claus. 

"None taken," Mrs. Claus giggled. 

Winter, Snow Miser, and Nina walked outside to the front of the house. The sun was shining, brightly, and the air was crisp and cold. As always, a blanket of snow covered that part of the Earth. Freezing temperatures used to bother Nina, but now, they barely affected her. 

After they walked around for a bit, Winter said, "I need to sit down. Watch this." 

He held out his hands. Ice streamed out of them, and he made an intricate bench, embellished with many swirls and tiny details that only a true artist could craft. 

Snow Miser and Nina looked at the sculpture, impressed. Winter seemed pleased and said, "Have a seat. It's perfectly sturdy." 

"It's beautiful," Nina said as they sat down. 

"Thank you. My magic is slowly coming back." 

"That's great to hear, Dad," Snow told him. 

Winter smiled, proudly, then, his smile faded. "There's something else I want to show you." He bent over and made a snowball and held it in his hands. He closed his eyes. Gradually, an image of Mother Nature appeared on the snowball. She was feeding some animals outside her house. 

Nina's eyes widened. "That's incredible! How did you do that?" 

Winter smiled. "A little bit of magic. My magic." 

"Wait," Snow said. "You mean the magic snowball things are YOUR creation?"

The old man nodded.

"I thought they were Mr. C.'s. He made one and showed me when I-" Snow started but cut himself off. 

"No, my dear boy. It was I who taught him how to use the snowballs. He needed them to see which children were naughty and nice so he knew who to deliver presents to." Winter dispersed the snowball. "I have a confession to make to you both." 

After a pause, Winter said, wringing his hands in his lap, "I knew who you were, Nina, before I ever met you." 

"What do you mean?" 

"I've never completely lost my magic. It's been weak, almost nonexistent at times, but never totally gone. I was able to use the magic snowballs from time to time. I....used them to see you, my son." 

"You did what?" Snow's eyes widened. 

"I watched you grow up as much as I could, and I even saw Nina after you two met. I didn't want to say anything because I thought neither of you would take it well, but I needed to be honest and tell you." 

Snow Miser was quiet. Nina watched his reaction. Finally, he said, coldly but calmly, "I'm not discussing this right now. We have too much to deal with as it is." 

"I'm sorry," Winter told them both, ashamed. 

"Nina, we better get home," Snow said, ignoring his father.

Nina looked conflicted, but she nodded. It was best for Snow Miser to have some space, and they both needed time to think. She said goodbye to Winter, then the couple went inside and said goodbye to their hosts. Snow teleported them home without another word.


	14. Chapter 14

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Nina was flying her plane, and Snow Miser (in his human form) was sitting behind her. They were on their way to Southtown. It was going to take awhile to get there, so they had plenty of time to talk. 

"Now isn't the time. We've got more important things to think about," Snow Miser stated. He had been sullen ever since Winter had told them his secret. 

"Honey, this is important," Nina gently mentioned. "We both need to work through this." 

"I know, but there's no point in doing it right now," Snow stated, frowning. "I mean, we're going to visit your family soon. We need to focus on that."

"We'll deal with it when we get there. I know you're hurt because of what your dad did. It might help to at least talk about it a little." 

Snow sighed. "I can't believe he spied on me all those years, and he never even bothered to see me in person." 

"I'm sorry, my love. I know it's a shock." 

"I thought we could patch things up, but now...I don't know if I can trust him." 

"Give him a little mercy, but only when you're ready. I mean, I forgave you after you spied on me." 

"I know, and you're right, Nina, but this is a little different. We're talking about years that he could have showed up. Instead, he just watched me, and I couldn't reach him. I don't know. I need some time. I can't think about this too much until after we get home. Right now, I need to be here for you." 

"We'll get through all this together, Snowy. I promise." 

At last, the view from below looked familiar to Nina. "We're almost there," she told Snow Miser. 

As they got closer to the Earth, Snow stated, "I know. I can feel it. I'm melting already," he chuckled.

Finally, they landed near Nina's house. Nina got out and offered to help Snow exit the airplane. He took her hand and stood on the ground, shaky, and leaned against the plane. "Are you okay?" Nina asked. 

"Yeah. I've just never been up in the air for that long. I need to get my bearings." 

When he stopped shaking, Snow stood upright. "Okay. I'm fine, now." 

Nina said, walking towards the house, "Before we visit my mother and stepfather, we're going to make a couple of stops." 

"Whatever you want, my little sugarplum. Holy h-e-double hockey sticks, it's hot!" 

"It's hot as hell here. Are you sure you're going to be okay?" 

"Yeah. I'll adjust...somewhat." 

"To tell the truth," Nina told him, unlocking the front door, "it feels uncomfortably warm to me, too. I guess I got used to the cold after awhile." 

They smiled at each other and entered the house. Snow's smile faded once they walked in. The house was dark, dusty, and nearly empty. "You...lived here?" 

"Yeah," Nina replied. "I wasn't home a lot, so I didn't need a bunch of stuff. Sorry it's so dusty; I haven't been here in awhile. " 

"Nina...." Snow began to say something, but he immediately became quiet as they walked through the rooms. Nina gave him a short tour. Once they entered the bedroom, he hugged her, tightly. 

"What's wrong?" Nina asked, perplexed. 

"You must have been so lonely," Snow Miser said, his voice quivering. "This isn't what I expected your house to look like. You're full of life and love, and you deserve those things. Not a dusty, dark, gloomy place. This isn't right. This isn't you." 

Nina thought back to before she met Snow Miser, before she had ever gone to the North Pole. She had been miserable and wasted a lot of time running from her past. Now, her life was completely different. 

Nina gently pulled away and held his hands, trying to comfort him since he was visibly upset. "This house is a reflection of my past. I WAS really lonely, but now, things are so much better. I have many people in my life who love me. I'm not alone anymore." She looked around. "While we're here, we can fix this place up so it's not so drab. Really, I only keep the house because I need a place to land my plane when I come here." 

"We can visit more often and make it look more lived-in," Snow told her, "that is, if you want, and if everything goes well." 

"Let's play it by ear," Nina stated, kissing his cheek, then changed the subject. "There are two places I want to go before we go to Mom and Richard's." 

"Lead the way, my snow angel."

They left the house and walked into town. They took their time so Snow Miser could take in the sights. "There's not much to see, I'm afraid," Nina said. "Not much has changed since I was born." 

"I'm enjoying myself so far. It's nice to get out and explore, though there's a little too much green for my tastes." 

Nina laughed, merrily. "It is a little strange seeing so much grass and trees that aren't covered with snow."

"I am glad we're here, though. A little warmth never hurt anybody." 

Nina stopped in front of a flowershop and walked in. Snow Mser followed her. 

The owner of the shop, who was standing in front of the cash register, greeted them. "Nina! It's good to see you again!" 

Nina hugged him. "It's good to see you, too, Mr. Bennett." 

"And who is this young man with you?" 

Nina turned toward Snow Miser. "Mr. Bennett, this is my boyfriend, Sam Meier." 

Snow reached out his hand and heartily shook Mr. Bennett's hand. "Nice to meet you, sir." 

"Likewise." 

"Sam, I've known Mr. Bennett since I was a kid. His son and I grew up together," Nina told Snow. 

"Melvin is home for the week. He's supposed to be back any time if you want to see him," Mr. Bennett informed Nina.

Nina's eyes lit up. "I'd love to! I haven't seen Mel in a long time!"

The door to the shop opened, and a young man walked in, carrying boxes. He was tall and lanky and wore glasses. He put the boxes down near a counter. When he looked up and saw Nina, his neutral expression became stunned.

Nina ran to him and hugged him, nearly knocking him over. "Mel!" 

"Nina!" the man stammered. He barely managed not to lose his footing, and he hugged her back. "Gosh, it's been a year since I've seen you!"

"I've missed you! Oh, I want you to meet someone." Nina introduced him to Snow Miser, calling Snow by his fake name. 

Snow smiled, brightly, and shook Melvin's hand, looking him over with interest. "Any friend of Nina's is a friend of mine." 

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Meier." 

"Please, call me Sam. So you're both friends of Nina's family?" 

Mr. Bennett nodded. "Her father and I were good friends." 

"We'd go over to each other's houses and have dinner for many years," Nina stated. "Mel and I also went to school together." 

"I'd love to hear all about it," Snow Miser said. 

The three shared different stories with Snow, who was happy to hear about Nina's past. 

Later, Nina said, "I hate to cut this short, but could I have a bouquet? We still have a few more places to go today, but we'll come back sometime before we leave Southtown." 

"Of course," Mr. Bennett replied, and arranged a bouquet for her while they all chatted. When he was done, he handed her the flowers. 

Nina was pleased. "Thank you. It's perfect." 

"You're very welcome. Say hello to your mother and Richard for me." 

"I will."

With that, Nina and Snow Miser said their goodbyes to Mr. Bennett and Melvin and left the shop.


	15. Chapter 15

"I'm so happy I got to meet a couple of your friends," Snow Miser told Nina after they left the flowershop. 

"I'm sure you are," Nina said with a smirk. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

"Come on. I saw you checking Mel out. You're trying to flirt with some of the guys here." She giggled. 

"What about you?" Snow playfully asked. "You almost ran into a light post earlier while you were looking at a pretty woman." 

"I couldn't help it," Nina said, innocently. "She was beautiful." 

"Not as beautiful as you, my angel," Snow lifted her free hand and kissed it, which made Nina blush.

"By the way, where are we going?" Snow asked as they walked out of town. 

"To the cemetery. I want to visit my dad, first." 

They arrived at the cemetery, and Nina stopped in front of her father's grave and turned toward Snow Miser. "Please don't make fun of me for what I'm about to do," Nina said, biting her lip. "I know he's gone, but talking to him makes me feel better." 

"I'd never dream making fun of you, honey," Snow Miser told her, sincerely. 

Nina knelt down, took a deep breath, and laid the flowers at the grave. "Hey, Dad. So much has happened since I was last here. You'd never believe it. Things have gotten so much better. I've been trying to move on from my past, and so far, it's been working. I've had a lot of ups and downs, but overall, my life has improved. I've had a lot of help; I mean, there's no way I could have done it alone. I've met a wonderful guy and great people who have become my second family. They've changed my life." 

"I'm going to visit Mom after I'm done here. I know I should have visited her again sooner, but I've been through so much these past two months. If you're watching, I'm sure you know what's been going on. I wish I could tell you how much I still love you and how much I miss you. I've been learning to live without you, but it's still hard. I'm not saying it'll ever be easy, but I hope you can give me the strength to keep living and to do better. I love you, Dad, and I'll come back soon."

Nina stood up, wiping her eyes. When she stepped away, Snow asked, "Do you mind if I....?" 

"Oh, go ahead," Nina replied, stunned. 

Snow Miser then knelt beside the grave. "Hello, sir. I guess there's no point hiding who I am from you. My name is Snow Miser, and I'm madly in love with your daughter. You did a great job raising her, and I know you were very important to her. I want you to know that I'm going to take good care of Nina, so you don't have to worry. I wish I could get your blessing to be with her, but I hope you would have accepted me and thought me worthy of her. She's the light of my life and deserves nothing but the best. I hope that you're doing well and have found peace."

When he stood up, Nina hugged him, not pulling away for a long time. "He would have loved you, Snowy. I know he would have." 

He tenderly smiled and held her. "I really hope you're right." 

When the two finished paying their respects to John Alvar, Snow Miser asked, "Where to next?" 

"My mom and stepdad's."

They left the cemetery and walked back into town. Along the way, Nina noticed that Snow Miser grew more and more anxious. She stopped at the side of the road and hugged him. "It will be okay." 

"What are you talking about?" 

"You don't have to hide it from me. I know you're nervous." 

Snow took a deep breath. "I'm more than that. I'm scared. What if they hate me? What if they see the real me...and are afraid of me?" 

Nina stroked his cheek. "They won't hate you. We'll tell them together. No matter how this turns out, I won't stop loving you. You won't lose me."

This seemed to ease Snow's mind, and they continued walking, eventually arriving at Marilyn and Richard's house. Nina looked at Snow Miser, who composed himself. Then, she knocked on the door.

A few moments later, Marilyn opened the door. "Nina!" She joyfully hugged her daughter. "Come in! Come in!" 

The two visitors followed the older woman into the house. Richard was in the living room, reading a newspaper. He stood up when he saw them. Marilyn told her husband, "Nina's here, and she brought someone with her." 

Nina smiled and held out her hand toward Snow. "Mom, Richard, this is my boyfriend, Sam Meier." 

Snow Miser grinned and took the initiative, shaking hands with Marilyn and Richard. "It's nice to meet you both." 

They shook his hand, friendly but surprised. "Nina, you didn't tell us you were dating someone." 

"Well...a lot of things have happened since I was last here." 

The four of them sat down. Snow sat by Nina and held her hand. He looked into her deep brown eyes with his own pale blue ones, making an effort to put his fear aside and show her his support. 

"Tell us all about it. We haven't heard from you in awhile," Richard stated. 

"I'm really sorry I haven't visited sooner. Before I tell you what's been going on, I need to let you know you may have trouble believing what I say. Parts of our story may seem a little outlandish." 

Nina and Snow Miser had agreed with each other beforehand to reveal nearly everything to Nina's family instead of making up a story about where Nina had been the last two months.

The hosts looked confused. "Why would we not believe you?" 

"Perhaps we should start from the beginning," Snow suggested. 

Nina nodded in agreement. "I just have one favor to ask you both: that you don't say anything until we're done." 

Nina's mother and stepfather, although extremely confused, agreed to just sit and listen. Together, Nina and Snow Miser told them their story, beginning from when Nina first came to the North Pole and ending at that very moment, being honest and only leaving out details that were irrelevant. 

When they were finished, Marilyn and Richard looked completely bewildered, as if the other two had spun a fantastic tale out of thin air. The disbelief in their expressions told the young couple everything they needed to know. "I know it's a lot to take in, but I swear on my life that it's all true," Nina said. 

"It's not that we don't believe you..." Marilyn stated. 

"It is rather hard to, however. The North Pole? Santa Claus? Mother Nature? I know Santa was here 10 years ago, but you mean to tell us you've actually gone to the North Pole and met him? And Sam, you're actually a being with ice powers?" Richard raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, but it all sounds far-fetched."

Snow Miser and Nina looked at each other. Nina stated, "It's too soon. They need time to process it." 

"Nina, they won't believe us until I show them. There's no point in waiting." 

Nina nodded, then Snow Miser stood up and walked behind the sitting area. Nina stood by him. "We can prove all of this is true," Snow said. "Please....just don't panic." 

The hurt and fear in Snow's voice almost made Nina cry, but she held back tears. Snow Miser slowly transformed into his original form, right in front of Nina's family. 

Marilyn and Richard's eyes widened.


	16. Chapter 16

Snow Miser stood in the living room in his true state, avoiding eye contact with everyone. He couldn't keep himself from visibly shaking. 

Richard and Marilyn stared at Snow, gasping. They didn't speak for a long time. Marilyn broke the silence. "So, it's true. All of it." 

"Yes," Nina said. "I'm in love with Snow Miser. I've met Santa Claus and Mother Nature and so many other people." 

Their shock didn't disappear. 

It began raining, though, only moments before, it was bright and sunny outside. Nina guessed that Snow Miser's emotions had activated his powers, and Heat Miser had turned the snow into rain. 

Knowing that Snow Miser was in a fragile state, Nina moved in front of him like a shield. "Mother, Richard, Snow Miser is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. He's supported me through a lot of rough times, and I'm grateful to him for everything he's done. I don't care he's not human. I don't care what he looks like or if he has powers or not. I love him, and I fully accept him for who he is. I hope you two will accept him, too." 

Snow Miser looked at her, gradually calming down because of her words. "Nina, I love you so much," he told her in a quiet voice, touched. 

Hearing Nina's defense of her partner and seeing the way the young couple treated each other, Marilyn said, "It's obvious you two care very deeply for one another." 

"Yes," Richard agreed. "It's all a lot to take in, but you're a good man. You have to be or else Nina wouldn't have said all she has about you." 

"I'd never hurt her or anyone she cares about," Snow told them. 

The older couple began calming down from their initial shock. Seeing that Snow Miser wasn't any kind of a threat, Marilyn said, "I'll go make us some tea to calm our nerves. Can you eat and drink, Mr. Miser?" 

Snow was a little surprised. "Yes, a-and you can call me Snow Miser." 

"Come, sit back down," Richard told Nina and Snow. "We're all a little too shaken up to be standing." 

Snow Miser, Nina, and Richard sat back down. Soon, Marilyn returned with a tray of tea cups and served them. As they drank, Marilyn said, "We're very sorry we doubted you both and that we scared you. You poor thing; you're still shaking." 

Snow Miser struggled to hold his cup. "I'll be alright, ma'am. It's mostly nerves. I was so afraid that you two would hate me, I got worked up. I wanted to make a good impression, but we didn't want to lie about anything." 

"We understand," Richard said. "We didn't exactly have the best reaction. It looks like you were more afraid of us than we were of you. It's okay, Snow Miser; you're welcome here as you are." 

Hearing this made both Snow's and Nina's faces light up. "You really mean that?" Snow asked. 

"Yes, of course. Goodness, no one should judge a book by its cover," stated Marilyn. "That's a lesson we all should learn. If your heart is good, then the rest doesn't matter so much." 

Snow Miser almost burst into tears from relief after being on edge for so long. Nina handed him a tissue and rubbed his back. "Thank you both for being so understanding," she told her mother and stepfather, gratefully. 

"Of course," Marilyn told her. "We only want you to be happy." 

"I am," Nina assured them, kissing Snow Miser's cheek. He smiled at her, his crying stopped. 

Richard leaned forward and addressed Snow. "So, you control all the winter weather in the Northern hemisphere?" 

"Yep. The Southern hemisphere is my brother's territory." 

"What did you say his name was?" 

"Heat Miser. Any time I try to make it snow down here, he turns it into rain or fog." He made an exaggerated, disgusted face. Nina giggled. More relaxed, Snow sat back and put his arm around her, and she leaned against him. 

"Does this hot weather affect you, since you're made out of ice?" 

"A little. I'm not completely made out of ice. The heat makes me really uncomfortable, but I can tolerate it for a long while. I've never been anywhere hot for this long, so we'll see." 

"Do your powers work here, if you don't mind me asking?" 

Snow Miser picked up a spoon that was in his teacup and turned it to snow. Nina's family watched, amazed. "That's incredible!" Marilyn gasped. 

He closed his hand, and when he opened it back up, the spoon was there as if he never changed it. He grinned, pleased that it entertained them. "Watch this. I could make a blizzard in here if I wanted to." 

"Snowy..." Nina said, gently. 

Snow Miser chuckled. "Don't worry, sugarplum. I won't do that." He made it snow a little inside the living room. 

Marilyn and Richard held up their hands and caught the flurries on their palms, laughing, joyfully. "We haven't seen snow in 10 years! It's like magic!"

"Yes, it is," Nina told them, smiling. She thought her whole life had been filled with magic ever since she came to the North Pole. It was even better now that her mother and stepfather had met the love of her life. They had nothing to hide, and nothing at that moment was greater than that feeling. 

After awhile, Snow Miser changed back to his human form, looking drained. Worried, Nina whispered to him, "Are you okay?" 

Snow nodded, squeezing her hand. "Nothing a little rest won't fix." 

Satisfied with that answer for the time being but still feeling uneasy, Nina told her family, "We're thinking about redecorating my house." 

"Oh?" Richard asked. 

"It's not very homey," Nina explained. "And since we're thinking about coming here more often-" 

"Excuse me, but may I trouble you for some ice water?" Snow interrupted. 

Marilyn got up. "It's no trouble at all." She got him a glass of cold water with several ice cubes. Snow Miser drank the water and swallowed the ice cubes whole. 

"Sorry for interrupting you, honey," he told Nina. 

"It's okay," Nina told him, looking at him, strangely. She then continued. "And since we're thinking about coming here more often, we thought it'd be a good idea to clean and fix up the house." 

"It'll be fun!" Snow cried out, rejuvenated. "We can paint the rooms and decorate them and make the house look really nice." 

Nina giggled. "One thing at a time." 

Richard and Marilyn smiled, warmly, at the young couple. "That house could use a little care, but we're sure you two can make it look like a home. If you need any help with it, just ask." 

"We'll start out small, to begin with," Nina stated. "Nothing too major yet. It needs to be cleaned, first." 

"You'll probably need some masks and extra feather dusters." Marilyn got up and left the room. She returned with a feather duster and some bandanas. "You can use these and just return them when you're done." 

"Thanks, Mom," Nina told her. "It's going to be a pretty big project." 

"We'll get it done together," Snow assured Nina. "I'll protect you from the dust bunnies." 

They all laughed, merrily. With everyone at ease, the rest of the visit went smoothly. 

The young couple stayed until the sun went down. Then, they said their goodbyes and went back to Nina's house, wanting to go to bed so they could get an early start in the morning.


	17. Chapter 17

"I'm exhausted," Snow Miser told Nina once they went inside Nina's house. 

"I'll set up the bed." 

"Does your water work? I'd like to take a bath before we go to sleep." 

"Yes. Go ahead."

Snow Miser went into the bathroom while Nina walked to the bedroom. She took all the sheets and blankets off the bed and went outside and shook them. Once she put them all back on the bed, she waited for Snow Miser. 

He walked into the bedroom later, looking completely refreshed. "Ahhhh! I needed that." 

"Did you enjoy your bath?" 

"Yep. The water was nice and cold, just how I like it." He laid next to her on the bed and hugged her. His skin felt icy. 

Nina asked, "Can your body handle that?"

"Oh, yeah. Even in my human form, I still need to stay fairly cool." 

"You can change to your actual body." 

"I don't think there's enough room on the bed. I'll be okay like this. I promise."

Nina began feeling uneasy again. "Snow Miser, I'm really worried about you. Are you sure you're going to be okay staying here?" 

"Honey, I promise I'll be alright. Some cold baths and plenty of ice water will keep me cold enough throughout the trip. You're forgetting I lived at my mother's when I was young. She had to accommodate all her kids."

Nina told him, "I just worry about you a lot....Do you have enough room on the bed?" 

"Sure do."

"Sorry it's so small. I never expected anyone else but me to sleep in it." 

"It's no problem, sugarplum. The closer I am to you, the better." He wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so happy things turned out as well as they did. For a second there, I thought your mom and stepdad were going to come after me with pitchforks and torches." 

"They wouldn't have done that," Nina said, snuggling in his arms. "I didn't really know how they'd react, but I was sure they wouldn't be violent. If I thought there was a chance they would hurt you, I wouldn't have wanted you anywhere near them." 

"True." Snow stroked Nina's hair. He was quiet for a long time. "Nina?" 

"Mm hm?" 

"I've been thinking about what you said at your father's grave earlier."

"Really?" 

"Yeah, if it's okay if I talk about it."

"Of course. Speak freely." 

"I was thinking that even though you have me and Mr. and Mrs. C. and your mom and stepdad, there's always going to be a piece of you missing since your dad's gone." 

"Yes, that's right," Nina said, softly. "No one will ever take his place." 

"Not to take the attention away from you, but I was thinking about my relationship with my own father. I could have had all the father figures in the world, but since he wasn't there for me most of my life, a part of me has always felt empty. Now, he's back, but I don't really know how I feel about that, especially now that I know he was watching me this whole time. I know I have a chance to make up with him, but I'm so hurt." 

"That's understandable." 

"I don't know what I'm going to do, Nina. I don't know how he really feels about me. I want to hug him and tell him I forgive him and need him in my life, but I'm not ready yet. I just can't make myself do that." 

Nina ran her fingers through his platinum blonde hair. "Snowy, if you need some time, take some time. You need a chance to sort through your feelings. That way, you can make a better decision than if you just rush into things." 

He relaxed at her touch. "You're so smart, Nina," he said, yawning. "How did I ever get this lucky?" 

"No clue," she replied, calmly, drifting off to sleep. 

Later that night, a scream woke Nina up. She saw that Snow Miser was sitting up beside her in bed, shaking, terrified. She hugged him. "What happened?" 

"Nothing," he stammered, trying to calm down. 

Nina didn't let go and rubbed his back, holding him, tightly. He took a deep breath and stated, "It was just a nightmare." 

"Do you want to talk about it?" 

Snow paused. "I...I do, but I don't want to upset you." 

"You won't. Please tell me."

"It was about the plane crash, the one where you almost died. It was like I was reliving it, seeing your nearly lifeless body under all that snow. I thought I was going to lose you. And then, I almost lost you again." He shuddered. "It was all my fault. I could have stopped it all, but I just hurt you. I'm nothing but a monster." 

An icy hand gripped Nina's heart, and tears stung her eyes. "No, Snow Miser. You are not a monster. Don't ever say that." She held him in her arms and showered his face with kisses. "I love you, and I don't hold what happened against you. It was all an accident. Monsters intentionally hurt others without care. You aren't like that....Look at me. I'm okay. See? I'm right here with you. I'm pretty sure I can't die. Even if I could, shouldn't we focus on all the happy moments we share instead of worrying it will all end?" 

Snow Miser relaxed in his lover's arms. "I guess you're right, angel. I don't want to miss out on anything, even if we do have an eternity." 

Once he was calm, Nina told him, "Try to go back to sleep. We've got a lot to do in the morning." 

This occurrence wasn't anything new. Snow Miser had nightmares quite often since the plane crashes had happened, and most of the time, Nina was there to comfort him. She hoped that this trip in general, plus all the work they would do on the house, would provide a brief distraction for him and some relief from all his stress and fear.


	18. Chapter 18

Nina woke up just after the sun rose. Snow Miser was still sleeping, peacefully. She gave him a tiny kiss on the forehead before getting out of bed and walking to the kitchen. She made a pot of coffee and poured herself a cup, then sat outside on the steps and sipped her drink, looking at the sky and admiring its beauty. 

When she went back inside, Nina opened all the windows except the ones in the bedroom, put a bandana around her nose and mouth, and began dusting. It took quite awhile to dust the living room. At the same time, she prepared a light breakfast. 

While she was finishing the meal, Snow Miser walked into the kitchen in his original form. He wrapped his arms around Nina from behind and kissed her neck. "Good morning, angel. Something smells good."

"I'm making oatmeal," she told him, stirring the pot. 

"Oatmeal?" He seemed a little unsure. "Sorry, but every time I've had it, it's been mushy and tasteless." 

"Try mine," Nina said, holding the spoon. Once it was cool, she held it up to him, and he took a bite. 

"Wow! What did you put in this?" Snow asked, surprised. 

"Cinnamon and salt," Nina replied, turning off the stove. 

"Just cinnamon and salt? But this tastes incredible! I'm tempted to eat it all, right out of the pot!" 

Nina laughed. "I'm glad you like it, but can you wait until I make us a bowl?" 

She served them both and began eating, sitting on the counter. Snow leaned against the counter next to her and ate. "I'll get us some chairs you can easily sit in," she told him. 

"Ah, don't go out of your way for me, sugarplum," Snow Miser said, already nearly finished with his oatmeal. "I don't know how you did it. You managed to turn wallpaper paste into a feast! You must have some magic in you." 

"Speaking of magic..." Nina stated, looking up at him, "there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about." 

"Okay. What is it?" 

"Remember when we took your dad to your mom's house right after we met him?" 

"Yeah."

"Your dad let me hold that toy train he had, and something weird happened. I saw a guy with orange hair, who I think was Santa, giving the train to who I'm pretty sure was your dad. It was like...I was seeing a memory that wasn't my own." She shook her head. "I know it sounds really odd." 

"Nina, that's incredible," Snow Miser said, swallowing his last bite of food. "Is that the only time you've experienced it?" 

"Yeah," she replied, getting him more oatmeal. "I'm still not sure what happened."

Taking the bowl, Snow said, "I have no idea what it could've been. You might have to talk to Mr. C. about it when we get home." 

"That's a good idea," Nina told him. She got herself another cup of coffee. "Oh, I put some coffee in the freezer for you." 

Snow kissed her cheek. "You know me all too well." He got the cup out of the freezer and drank. "Ah! That hits the spot! There's nothing like a good breakfast and some iced coffee to start the day!" 

"I already began cleaning the living room," stated Nina as she began washing the dishes. 

"Okay. I'll dust while you finish that up." 

After Nina finished cleaning the dishes, she joined Snow Miser in dusting the rest of the living room. They talked about how to decorate the house and what furniture to get. 

"We definitely need to get a bed and some chairs today," Nina remarked, then sneezed. 

"Bless you. That would be nice. It was a little cramped, even in my human form." 

"I'm not sure we can find a bed that's long enough." 

"It'll be okay. We'll shop around." 

"There's only one furniture store in town." 

"Okay. We'll see what we can find, then." 

They cleaned for awhile, then they walked to town and went into the furniture store after Snow Miser changed into a human.

While the couple looked at the beds, Nina suddenly froze. "What's wrong?" Snow asked. 

"Ben is here," Nina whispered. 

Snow looked up. Ben walked into the store with a young woman. Ben saw Nina and approached her. "Nina! It's nice to see you! You haven't been around for awhile." 

"Hey, Ben," Nina greeted him, half-heartedly. 

"Who is this with you?" 

Snow Miser immediately stepped in front of Nina and shook Ben's hand, smiling. "The name's Sam. Sam Meier. I'm Nina's boyfriend. I assume you're Ben Howards." 

"That, I am," Ben answered, cringing in pain. "I'm guessing Nina told you about me." 

"Oh, she told me ALL about you," Snow answered, his smile still plastered on his face. It wasn't the usual, friendly grin that he wore. This smile was clearly fake and filled with venom, and his voice had a touch of sarcasm, unlike his normal cheerful and upbeat tone that he used with strangers. 

When the two men stopped shaking hands, Ben quickly pulled away and held his own hand in pain. However, he did his best not to show it. "I'd like to introduce my girlfriend, Millie." 

Nina and Millie shook hands and greeted each other, then Millie shook hands with Snow Miser, who was quite gentle with her. 

"Millie works for the newspaper," Ben boasted. "Her father owns it." 

"That's great," Nina said, uninterested.

"What do you do, Mr. Meier?" Ben asked. 

"I control winter weather in the Northern hemisphere," Snow answered, saying that like it was a joke. 

Ben pokerfaced at first, then he gave a small, dry laugh. "Oh, you're quite a comedian." 

Snow Miser paid careful attention to Nina. Seeing that she was growing more uncomfortable by the second, he said, "Well, I hate to break up this little chat, but we have some errands to run. It was...nice meeting you." 

"You, too," Ben said, politely. "Goodbye, Nina." 

"Goodbye," she told him, quickly.

Snow gently held Nina's hand and let her go in front of him out of the store. Once outside, he grumbled, "If only I had my powers right now..." 

Nina sniffled. "Let's go home. We can come back later." 

"Oh, honey," Snow said, sympathetically, and hugged her. 

When they pulled away, they went back to Nina's house. Nina leaned against a wall in the living room, hugging herself. "He said that about her just to make me jealous. He did that while he and I were dating, too. He'd go around telling people I was a pilot just to make himself look good."

"He's a jackass. Just say the word, and I'll-" 

"No. All I want you to do is hold me," Nina said. 

"Of course." Snow immediately calmed down and held her in his arms. 

"I keep thinking about the things he said." 

"He didn't know what he was talking about, Nina," Snow told her, stroking her hair. "He messed up and lost a great woman. Guys like that only care about their image; they have no substance. He didn't deserve you." 

"You're right. I know you're right. It's just, seeing him brought up bad memories. Thank you for stepping in." 

Snow kissed her. "Anytime."

Later that day, they went back to the furniture store and looked at the beds and chairs. They found a bed that was long enough for Snow Miser to sleep in in his original body and wide enough for them both to comfortably sleep on. They also got a couple of chairs and a rug to put in the living room. All the furniture got delivered to Nina's house, and it took an hour for the delivery people, Snow Miser, and Nina to get the old bed out of the bedroom and carry the new one in. 

When the delivery people left, Snow and Nina took some time to look at their new things. "It's starting to look more like a home," Nina told her partner. 

He kissed the side of her head. "Yep. A home away from home." 

"I just hope we don't run into Ben again." 

"If we do, just remember he can't hurt you anymore. Nothing he says means anything. If nothing else, I'll turn him into an icicle." 

"Snowy." 

"What?" he asked, innocently. "He could live in someone's freezer and keep their drinks cold. At least he'd have a use." 

"That's mean-spirited." 

"Ah, he deserves it. Besides, I gotta have fun once in awhile." 

"Yeah, but we don't need to be involved in a lawsuit." 

"Okay, okay. I won't do anything like that, only for your sake, though." 

Nina smiled and shook her head. "I appreciate it. I love you, Snow God." 

"I love you, too, my angel."


	19. Chapter 19

Nina and Snow Miser stayed in Southtown for a total of one week. During the rest of their trip, they cleaned and redecorated Nina's house, visited Nina's father's grave, and stopped by Marilyn and Richard's home. 

On their last night, Nina's mother and stepfather invited the young couple over for a special dinner. Once they arrived, Snow Miser changed to his actual form. The four greeted each other, then sat down. After chatting for a little bit, Marilyn went into the kitchen to see about the food, and Nina followed her.

"Let me help," Nina told her.

"You don't have to do that, but I appreciate it."

As they cooked, Marilyn asked, "So, you and Snow Miser are going back to the North Pole tomorrow?" 

"Yeah."

"I'm still shocked that you personally know Santa Claus. I've heard he's a nice man." 

"He is one of the kindest men in the world. All of the people there are very friendly." She touched her snowflake necklace. Although she loved her family, she was beginning to miss her second family.

"I'm very happy that you found more people who love you just as much as we do," Marilyn told her daughter. "Will you and Snow Miser come back to visit soon?" 

"Oh, yes," Nina replied. "We'll definitely drop by when we can." 

Marilyn said, "I'm relieved you found someone who treats you well. I can tell Snow Miser loves you very much." 

"He does," Nina said, looking at the doorway. "We've been through a lot together, but he's still with me. I love him more than anything in the world." 

Marilyn gave her a small, warm smile. "That's how it should be." 

The women soon served the food, and everyone sat in the dining room and began the meal. Snow changed into his human form so it would be easier for him to sit down and eat. They all chatted, cheerfully, but there was an air of sadness due to the knowledge that Snow and Nina would be leaving the following day. 

"You'll drop by again soon, won't you?" Richard asked. "I mean, I know you're both busy, but we'd love to see you two more often."

"Absolutely," Nina answered after swallowing a bite of food. "Between the deliveries and Snow Miser's job, we should be able to make more trips down here." She looked at Snow for confirmation. 

In response, Snow nodded, enthusiastically. "And, since you've met me, there's no reason for us to worry, now," he added. "We're all getting along great." 

"We're glad you feel at ease around us," Marilyn stated. "You're a fine young man. We're happy our daughter is with you."

Hearing this made Nina beam with joy. Her mother and stepfather had met all her past partners but had never made any comments like that to them. This told her that they were fond of Snow Miser and could see that he had a good heart. The visit couldn't have turned out better. 

Nina and Snow Miser stayed until very, very late that night. They went home and slept, then came by again the next morning to say their goodbyes. Afterwards, the couple went back to Nina's and departed in the airplane. 

"Y'know, I'm kinda going to miss the place," Snow told Nina once they were up in the sky. 

"You are?" Nina asked, startled. "I was worried you'd never want to come back because of the weather." 

"For you, I'd live in Hell if I had to. Still, I can't wait to get back home; I miss it a lot. Besides, there's something important I have to do." 

"Don't worry, my love; we'll be there soon enough." 

Finally, Nina and Snow Miser returned to the North Pole. They landed near Santa and Mrs. Claus's house, intending to greet them, first. 

Santa and Mrs. Claus came out to meet them before they were able to knock on the front door. They all hugged each other, happy to see one another again. 

Once the greetings were out of the way, Nina began talking about the trip. Snow Miser asked Santa, "I'm sorry for interrupting, but have you seen my dad lately?" 

"Yes. In fact, he's inside right now." 

Snow, who was holding Nina's hand, gently pulled away after she gave him a small nod. He went inside the house. 

Winter was sitting on the couch in the living room, reading. When he looked up at Snow Miser, he tentatively said, "Hello." 

"Hey." 

"You're back from your trip." 

"Yeah." 

"How did it go?" 

"I'll tell you later. There's something we need to talk about." 

"Yes, I was hoping you'd say that." 

"You were?" 

"Of course. I can't tell you how guilty I feel about the whole thing. I couldn't stop thinking about it the entire time you were gone." 

"Yeah, well, I won't tell you it didn't hurt," Snow expressed to Winter. "I mean, you were able to see me grow up, but I didn't have a clue where you were." 

"I'm very sorry. I wish I hadn't made those mistakes. I hope you can forgive me someday." 

Snow sat by his father. "If we're going to get past this, we have to put this behind us. All of it. I want my father in my life. I want to start fresh. Can we do that?" 

"Of course. I want nothing more than that," Winter replied, hopeful. "I promise, I won't let you down again." 

"I appreciate that," Snow said. "Well, I better get back out there." 

"Wait, son," stated Winter, suddenly. Then, he hesitated. "Can I have a hug?" 

"Yeah," Snow replied, then reached over and hugged his father. 

Winter pulled him close and began sobbing. "I was so afraid you'd never speak to me again." 

Snow's eyes softened. "I'm not angry anymore, Dad. Just give it time. We'll get to know each other, and we'll slowly build up our relationship. Everything is going to be alright." 

Winter sniffled. "Thank you so much. I know I don't deserve this, but I'll do things right this time." 

"You deserve a second chance," Snow told him, relaxing. "I mean, if I deserved one after all the stunts I've pulled, then you do, too." 

Winter chuckled, calmly. He made no motion of moving, and neither did Snow Miser. "Perhaps you should go back outside and see about Nina," the older man said at last.

"She'll come in, eventually," Snow told his father, content. 

Indeed, Nina, Santa, and Mrs. Claus came into the house a little later. Mrs. Claus went into the kitchen, while Santa sat down in a chair. Nina sat by Snow Miser and snuggled with him, and he kissed her forehead. 

Once Mrs. Claus came back in with a tray of cookies and hot chocolate, Winter said, "Tell us all about your trip." 

With that, Snow Miser and Nina told the three about their week in Southtown, leaving nothing out. When they were finished, Santa said, "It's good that everything turned out so well for you two." 

"It was a big relief that Nina's family accepted me," Snow said with his arm around Nina. 

Winter looked at Santa. "I suppose there are still some good people in the world after all." 

"Indeed, there are, Winter," Santa stated in a thoughtful voice.


	20. Chapter 20

A few weeks later, Snow Miser and Nina were visiting Santa and Mrs. Claus. It was evening, and they had just finished eating dinner. Snow Miser excused himself and Nina and held her hand, taking her outside. They walked to the back of the house, and Snow created a small, icy pond with his powers. Stepping onto it, he held out his hand. "Care to join me?" 

Nina took his hand and got on the ice. She waited while he made her boots into ice skates, then together, they glided around the pond. 

"Do you remember the last time we did this? It was right before you went back to Southtown after you first came here," Snow asked, carefully twirling Nina.

"Mm, hm. You made that tiny reindeer sculpture for me." 

"You felt so bad for melting it a little, but I didn't mind. Just seeing you happy was enough for me. It still is." 

Snow Miser stopped skating and held her hands. "I was so afraid when you left, you'd never come back. If I knew then what I knew now,...well, I wouldn't have been so worried about that. There are a lot of things I'd do differently, but meeting you and falling in love with you are things I'd never change." 

He let go of her hands and got down on one knee on the ice. "Nina, I've only known you for a short time, but it feels like we've been together for an eternity. I want to spend the rest of my existence with you, through the good times and bad. Nina Alvar, would you do me the honor of being my wife?" He pulled out a small, dark blue box and opened it. Inside was a ring with a silver band, and diamonds in the shape of a snowflake decorated the center of it. 

Nina put her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide and watering. "Yes, Snow Miser. I will," she responded, overcome with emotion. 

Snow Miser stood up and put the ring on Nina's finger. They kissed, passionately, then he picked her up and spun her around. It began snowing, and they laughed, merrily, under the moonlight. 

Snow Miser stopped spinning with her and said, "Come on. We've got to tell everybody." 

"Wait. I want to stay out here with you a little longer. I don't want this moment to end so soon." 

Snow kissed her hand, his mouth close to her ring. "Alright. Anything for you, my darling." 

They stayed outside for a long while after that, enjoying each other's company and savoring the feelings that came with their new engagement.


	21. Chapter 21

Deep in the Forest of Burzee... 

"I'm sure you're all aware by now why I gathered you here," the Great Ak stated, sitting down at his place at the table among the Council of Immortals. "The threat has become too great to ignore. It grows more dangerous by the day." 

"What shall we do?" asked the Commander of the Wind Demons. "If it is true that we alone cannot control the threat, then who can we ask to help us?"

The Great Ak looked around at each member of the Council. "I have an idea. Just leave that to me."


End file.
